A Ripple In Time
by SierraLaufeyson
Summary: The night has fallen. The walking shadows emerge to divulge in the only thing that keeps them living, if they can even be called such. Izabella Brighton is one of these shadows, she is one with the night but walks in the sun and when a young Captain in the British Calvary comes dancing into her life it changes everything.
1. Proem

_London; May 3, 1715._

Cautiously she entered Westminster Abbey, the candles flickered to and fro with her passing, unnerved by the atmospheric disturbance in the most sacred place within the city. Outside the streets were in a fright, the sun had disappeared, a solar eclipse the scientists had claimed it to be, but they were deemed to be heretics and for that their words could not be trusted. The sack-back gown from floral calico material made her stand out amongst those who worked in the Abbey with their drab colored robes, the rising temperatures made the dress nearly insufferable; she approached the alter, like so many others, and paid her respects. The engageantes tacked to her sleeves tickled her skin as she lowered her head.

The darkness made the interior of the cathedral look haunting, long shadows were cast, the murmurings of prayers and the voices that read the scripture ceased when the temperature seemed to drop. Suddenly the heavy dress did not seem to be enough to provide warmth, people began to flee from the Abbey and priests gathered in separate rooms. But she sat rooted to the pew, shivering even more, her heart beating frantically and urgently. A scream was caught in her throat when fingers brushed over her neck, but she was alone, terrifyingly alone, a select number of candles extinguished themselves, and she felt the lingering caress again.

"Such a fragile neck," she heard the voice before she saw the man it belonged to, the only thing that held her gaze was his eyes, golden-green irises that were barely there, his pupil's dilated in some primal urge that was solely animalistic. Black hair was in a disarray half falling out from the loose tie, the dark brocade fabric of his waistcoat was stained with a dull crimson color. She wanted badly to scream but some hidden part said not to turn, to give into this dark and forbidden desire.

The man extended his hand and regardless of what her mind was shouting she took it and was quickly yanked from her seat, the trailing fabric of her gown nearly causing her to fall as it was tangled beneath her heels and ankles. After that degree of freedom she was frozen once again, whether by witchcraft, her own desire, or the inability to run she didn't know; but the mysterious man leant forward, inhaling her scent as if he could become drunk from it.

"Who are you?" The girl managed to speak, her voice a squeak compared to the normal tone it carried. As if suddenly remembering his manners he took her hand once more, bringing it to his lips as he sunk down in quick homage.

"Adam, my lady." When he looked up to her the fear was clearly written on her delicate features and oh, how he relished the way it smelled radiating from her. His lips were pulled back into a feral smile, the oblong and pointed canines proudly showing. A darkness stirred within her blood at the sight, and she cursed it.

"You're a vampire." She stuttered, he circled her like a predator, appreciating his taste in victims, although she had to be a step up from previous ones. Part of him hated to waste her so quickly without truly savoring what she could provide. He trailed his nose up the pale column of her neck, enjoying how she reacted to his touch, she was so responsive.

"How very observant of you." The coiffed and curled hair was vibrant and fiery, but he much preferred to feel the strands of his prey's hair tickling his cheek and forehead as he feasted and so he pulled away the pins and small flower that matched one of the many on her dress. She was relieved from the pressure the style had forced on her scalp and unthinking she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Halt!" One of the priests stood at the opposite end of the aisle, a crucifix and vial of holy water in hand, "You shall go no further servant of Lucifer! Go back to the darkness from whence you came." Adam hissed in discomfort and his control over her small body weakened and then disappeared completely. Quickly, he turned to his desired meal and pressed his lips against hers, soundly, despite the way she pressed against his shoulders. When he pulled away he was gone and the lady coughed, something dark and dangerous settling deep inside of her but it felt so right. The priest ran towards her helping her to a seat.

"Miss, miss; you have been touched by the devil himself;" she shook her head vehemently, he lifted the blessed water, pouring some into his old and wrinkled hand, attempting to bring it to her face but abruptly she stood. The discomfort at being near anything holy was too much to bare, knocking the priest's hand away the vial of water shattered on the floor, and she ran, her heel breaking the crucifix he had dropped, the sun had returned.

Her house was naught but fifteen miles from the city's center, hailing her horse and carriage driver she ushered him to make haste, and so they bolted through the city streets, nearly knocking pedestrians over. Every bump and hole was felt at the reckless pace. Relief flooded through her to see her orchard and then the chimney of her house. She rested her hand on her driver's shoulder, thanking him for his assistance before she stole away into her house; her handmaid followed her up the stairs and into her room. "Miss, are you alright?"

Weakly she nodded and requested her work chemise, at that the maid swiftly retrieved the articles of clothing and helped her lady from the constricting corset and petticoat. "Miss! You're shivering!" Vaguely she acknowledged the way her skin had erupted into horripilation but despite the maid's urging she did not wear a cloak or have a small fire started, instead she sat contemplatively at the table in the sitting area of her room.

"Darla, please inform Sir Thomas that I have fallen ill and therefore cannot accompany him to the King's Ball." The command fell easily from her lips, she was far too used to this life, of solitude, away from the need of suitors. Her maid curtsied, "Oh and Darla, please bring my tea when you return, extra sugar today." Once more the maid nodded before exiting the room, she watched as the maid passed down the stairs but her door abruptly closed and that ghastly chill was returning as the dark figure stepped out from the shadows, carefully dancing around where the sunlight entered the room.

"If you have come to kill me then I suggest you do so at night when my house workers are not attending to my needs with chary vigilance." He chuckled at her words and sat across from the lady, her fiery hair still remained tousled from his hands, her scent was still intoxicating and it could drive him to madness. "I also suppose that you haven't dropped by to share in my afternoon tea," now it was her that was watching him, her viridian eyes tracing every movement of the dark guest. She was not afraid as she had been earlier.

"If I was a guest then I would know the name of my most gracious host." He raised a brow in challenge and question. She smiled politely, and folder her hands in her lap, hardly caring that her chemise was made for sleep, her smile was almost condescending in a way. Adam could hardly believe her audacity and the skill of her wit now that she was not frozen in place beneath his spell.

"Izabella." He tested the name, noting how it rolled of is tongue and the taste it left in his mouth. Feigning to be a gentleman he reached for her petite and delicate hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips for the second time that day. The urge to devour her wholly was nearly overwhelming but he put on his most charming smile.

"A pleasure, Izabella." The knocking at her door was fierce and panicky, she eyed the man daring him to stay whilst her maid was present but he waved his hand, simultaneously opening the door and returning to lurk in the shadows somewhere unseen. Darla set the tray down, pouring a steaming cup full of tea before adding three cubes of sugar instead of the usual one, at that Izabella raised her hand dismissing the maid.

"Miss, are you sure you are alright? I heard you speaking as if there were another in this room." She assured the maid that all was well and each carried out the rest of their duties. Night fell and after a small meal she returned to her room to find the pestilent Adam lounging on the settee at the foot of her bed.

"Well do tell your reason for plaguing me with your presence this day." She retorted, her hands defiantly resting on shapely hips. Adam chuckled under his breath, the sound was low and the lady of the house could feel the reverberations deep within her belly, that hint of darkness seemed ecstatic and grew. He stood, his long body standing in front of the lady with two strides. Lazily, he curled a tendril of the perfumed hair around his finger, a sly smile on his lips and pulled back just enough to reveal fangs.

"At first look I was set on making a meal out of you, but now, however, it is not just the life elixir that flows through your veins that I crave, but you." Her cheeks flushed and the vampire pressed his face into her neck, suckling the pulse point there. She gripped his biceps, pushing him towards the bed, the notion earned a small nip at her shoulder, not forcefully enough to draw blood lest he be sent into a frenzy before he could divulge in other pleasures.

With a wave of his hand the curtains fell before the windows, the door closed and locked with an audible click and the number of candles illuminating the room was reduced to half. "I have a condition though," Izabella pushed him far enough away that he was able to focus on her words and not her body.

"I'm listening." He flicked his tongue over the point of each fang, that act made the lady press her legs closer together, the growing heat there was near unbearable.

"You turn me," Adam did laugh at that statement, the space between them grew to be non-existent as he tipped her chin up, the golden irises that stared down at her were so otherworldly and undoubtedly beautiful in a forbidden way. That was his entire aura and it appealed to the sliver of darkness that loved to fester within her, her hands dug into the musculature of Adam's chest. She wanted this, her entire body screamed for this to happen, that she belonged with the night.

"I do not think you know what you are asking me to do. To give up living, become a slave to the night, it is a miserable life for one such as yourself." She shook her head as his lips grew closer to hers, her eyes fluttered shut as the cool flesh pressed against hers. His hands grappled with the material of the chemise until he was confident that the leverage was right and that it could be ripped from her body, and he did just that. She gasped at the strength and sound of material tearing, leaving her unclothed. His appreciative gaze was feral but was soon broken when the gentle lady began undoing the richly decorated waistcoat; tossing it to the settee along with his billowing white shirt.

His skin was like marble beneath her hands and beneath her lips. She toyed with the ties of the breeches he wore until a savage growl sounded within his throat, and from there he tossed her the bed, pinning her beneath his weight, relishing her scent and the sweet taste of her sensitive flesh. The lust that exuded from her was even more enticing that the fear he had smelt erstwhile that day. He tortured her with nips from sharpened teeth, soothing each angry red mark with a swipe of his tongue. Adam watched her writhe and whimper until the urge to consume her was far too much to resist.

Izabella gasped, her hands digging into his shoulders as he seated himself within her, drawing out each motion until she beckoned him on, pulling him deeper. His vision clouded and all he could feel was her heat, all he could hear was the racing beat of her heart, and all he see was the vein on her neck throbbing, begging to be breached.

She clung onto this strange man, this walking shadow, whispering his name until her body threatened to break, until all she knew was the pleasure he was giving her. Though when his teeth sunk into his neck she knew that this was it, there was no retreating now. He cradled her against him, never stopping the gyrating motions of his hips while he drank, she sobbed in pleasure and when he pulled away from her neck he bit his own wrist, drawing the sharp canines across the skin until there was a slit that was as long as her lips. He pressed his bleeding wrist against her lips and she needed no instruction as she began to drink, greedily. Her eyes widened and her pupils were nearly consuming what was left of her teal irises, and before his eyes they changed to gold. Sharp points dug into his skin as her canines grew longer and sharper, even her hair grew darker.

Her blood felt like liquid fire to him and his lifeblood was sweet in a strange way to her. She screamed at one point and quickly Adam retracted his wrist, her lips coated in blood. Her new ferocity was startling as she seemed insatiable, digging nails harder into his skin, pleading for more, which he gave, freely, and unabashedly until all that remained was two sated heaps of flesh with their heavy breathing.

"Welcome to the night, my dearest." He pressed his lips to her temple, she rolled over clinging to his chest and for once he did not run, he stayed, she had to be trained to control the thirst, to control the hunger or risk revealing them all. She was the first he had turned and not killed, and he would not regret it.

Izabella woke the next morning, a strange and coppery taste lingering in her mouth, her chemise completely shredded on the floor and next to her lay the man she had spent her night with. Diffidently, she removed herself from the bed and walked to the mirror, but in it she saw nothing and at that discovery she screamed, loudly and shrilly. Adam bolted up and looked at her panicked state before laughing. She could hear Darla climbing the stairs but before she even knocked the lady of the house called her off, assuring her it was a tiny nuisance and nothing more.

"So the legends are all true? No reflection, no garlic, wooden stake to the chest is the only thing to kill one?" The elder vampire nodded, but stood and cast an enchantment over the reflective glass and slowly she could see both of them.

"Some are true, not all." He replied. Dried blood smeared over lips and chins, two punctures on her neck, she breathed in and Adam drew her back to bed, explaining the precautions that had to be taken, the training that had to be underwent to prevent being found. In time she mastered every aspect he could teach. Then one morning he was gone, there was not a note left but on her nightstand was a small crystal glass with a long stem, the craftsmanship was superb but it would hold no more than an ounce at most, picking up the trivial item she smiled. Indeed, she was one with the night now.


	2. 1

_The Brighton Estate, London; April 12, 1913._

She had walked for nearly two centuries, watching attentively and waiting for the perfect victim to catch her eye. Perhaps her tastes were too refined and even though she resisted feeding from humans sometimes it was unavoidable the desire too strong to be overcome; but she was still young in a way. By some fanciful way she had dabbled in the darkest of magic available to her and through a deal with the devil himself she asked to be able to walk in the sun, and so such a request was granted that she kill, never turn her victims.

Now she stood in the stables, nurturing her horses. At the moment she was brushing the mane of one of the less mature ones, his coat was as black as night as was his mane, but already she could tell he would be a marvelous animal. His size already matched that of his mothers and there was surely another year of growth left for him. His name was rather untraditional in comparison to her previous horses, but for this beast, it was fitting. She called him Topthorn, but when she finished tending to the beasts she knew there was naught even but a few hours left before the first of the spring soirées would begin. The whole town would be buzzing because of her festivities.

The people that came to her lavish parties were never disappointed, but on occasion there would be one less person leaving than came. For tonight's she had received correspondence that a dear friend would be there and for that she was happy. The mirror Adam had enchanted nearly two centuries ago had not moved from its place, it still hung resiliently, but as she added a simple strand of pearls to her outfit of the evening the dark and brooding figure that sat in the shadows amongst the light of her room only made her laugh in excitement.

"Adam! Darling, it has been too long." She waved her hand and the curtains fell before the open windows, blocking the sunlight, he approached her, kissing her hand. "How is Eve?" He scoffed at the mention of his wife, she and Izabella had met twice before, each taking a keen liking to one another, and for that he wished to keep the two of them apart lest he be driven mad.

"She still thinks me to be perverse and childish, so for lack of better words, our marriage is on a hiatus of sorts." Izabella shook her head, her gloved hands resting on his shoulders, before she captured one of his hands within hers and pulled him over to her wardrobe, he stood closely behind her as she reached for the ornate box on top, together they walked to the bed where she sat down, pushing the box towards him.

"I know you love instruments dearly. I've had this for quite some time, last time you visited I forgot completely about it." A genuine smile actually threatened to form on his lips, carefully he leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, a deep shade of rogue rushing to her cheeks. Within the box was a case, formed to fit a small string instrument, but it had no branding only a date engraved, she watched as he ran his finger across the lettering before finding the hinges and flipping the lid open. Izabella could easily tell that he was at a loss for words, but she urged him to take the violin in hand, he did so turning the cherry stained wood over in his hands.

"A Stradivarius," deftly he plucked one of the strings, sighing in contentment at the timbre and sound quality. "Belle, you shouldn't've." She only smiled, her scarlet hair an odd accompaniment to her golden eyes and sky blue gown but she looked stunning, a vision to behold. Adam fiddled with the pegs and then the fine tuner before lifting the bow from the case as well and playing a short number of scales.

"I was actually hoping you would play a piece tonight," he hummed, urging her to continue, "maybe Schumann, or Schubert, even Beethoven." Reverently he ghosted his fingers over the smooth wooden body of the instrument before placing it back within its case, standing from the bed. Izabella jumped when his arms wrapped around her waist, a soft kiss placed to her neck where two small scars remained from that night so many years ago.

"Adam." He nuzzled into her neck for just a few seconds later before the arrival of the first guests was announced. She pulled out a suit, in his size and to his measurements, placing it across the bed next to the violin. "If you want to play," she gestured to the formal ensemble, "if not I'll be back in a few hours." Izabella stood on the top of the staircase overlooking elegant gowns and suits, the pleasant chatter began shortly after the first bottle of champagne was opened, its cork barely missing a painting done by Monet at her personal request. She sighed in relief when it hit the wall and not the floral painting.

She roamed the crowd, greeting the nobles and notable guests with a politeness that was a focal point on her reputation. She stopped in her tracks when she noted two men with their military dress uniform on. The royal blue standing out among the crowd of black suits and tuxedoes, Izabella approached the two men, a wide smile on her face. The first to greet appeared to be the younger of the two, he took her hand, pressing his lips to her gloved knuckles. "James Nicholls at your service Miss."

With a playfulness about her she did a small curtsy. "Izabella Brighton at yours." He looked to his friend who seemed disinterested in the conversation and wondered off to the parlor.

"You must excuse Jamie, he is a very serious man. I can rarely get him out for a party such as this." Izabella smiled at the officer, a quick glance at his ranking told her he was a Captain, and judging by his build a member of the Calvary. Silence hung between them for a moment but he offered the crook of his arm, and out of politeness she took it, leading him outside for a breather or perhaps to feed, she wasn't sure of herself yet.

"Miss Brighton, please excuse my forwardness, but I must say you look stunning." She had heard flattery such as this many times and why his words were the ones to make her blush she knew not but heat rushed to her cheeks regardless of her cold blood and she squeezed his arm a tad bit tighter. She wanted to smile but the light of the moon made her canines grow to their elongated form, so she simply curved the corner of her lip upwards.

"And if you excuse my forwardness, you look very dashing Mr. Nicholls." She heard the rumble of his mirthful and lively laughter and though every primal urge was telling her to sink her teeth into him and feed she repressed those feelings and ended up in the stables, Topthorn, the rowdy thing that he was stamped about until she fished a sugar cube from the pack at the door. James chuckled and stroked the horse's muzzle with reverence.

"Magnificent beast you have here," in the low light she could see him smile and without thought she smiled back, reaching over the stall door to pat the horse's shoulder.

"Ahhh, a rather rowdy beast too. Always like to start trouble, this one, I am actually thinking of taking him to market as one of my mares is due any week now." She showed the gentle captain the old girl that she had named Gail, her belly swollen as she was in the latter stage of pregnancy. Izabella led James from the stables but as they passed Topthorn's stall the horse nudged James in the back with enough force that he lost footing and fell into the lady of the house, but at the last second he was able to break her fall. He laughed it off but she glared back at the horse who almost looked to be smiling, the feeling of James's hard chest beneath her hands was frightfully exhilarating.

"My apologies Miss Brighton." He pulled her up from the ground, helping brush the grass from her hair and dirt from her gloves.

"Please, call me Belle." His smile made her weak, she shed the elbow length gloves and held them in her hands, twisting the fabric nervously as the two walked back to the house and party.

"Then I insist you call me James." She nodded and as she neared the house she could hear the virtuoso playing that could only be Adam, and surely enough when the two entered the house he stood at the top of the staircase wearing the suit she had laid out his fingers rapidly moving down the neck of the instrument as he worked the bow across the strings. She smiled up at him, hoping to catch his gaze but as he played he kept his eyes shut, moving with the meter and rhythm. At a particular cadence she realized the tune to be one of Beethoven's, one of her favorites, from there it transformed to a slower selection and with courage he didn't think he possessed James held his hand out, silently asking Izabella for a dance.

He pulled her into a slow waltz-like dance, his hands placed respectfully on her waist and hers on his shoulders. For the time they danced she was amazed by his eyes, the kindness and gentleness that they held. It had been years since she looked into eyes such as his. It didn't register that Adam had stopped the music until the other party goers erupted into applause and chatter once more, awkwardly James distanced the two of them, still persisting to carry on conversation.

Though the night was far from young and many had left, she and James spoke of his childhood, her passions, and he had even shyly admitted to being an artist. They were only interrupted when the Major came to retrieve the young Captain, they bickered in good nature for a moment before he pulled Izabella aside.

"I do hope that we may see each other again, Belle." She smiled at his words and boldly kissed the Captain's cheek, the stain on her lips lightly transferred to his skin.

"Tea is at four every day," she smiled as he retreated to the car with Jamie, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she leaned against the door frame watching the car disappear into the distance, a soft cloud of dust trailing behind. They were the last ones to leave the party and behind her was Adam, his hands tugging at her waist.

"Belle, I'm starving. Why did you let him get away?" She gasped as if appalled at the idea of drinking James's blood, and out of annoyance she flicked her longtime friend on the nose, to which he dramatically held as if it had been broken. Izabella laughed at his reaction, thinking Eve wise to call him childish, but there was a tug in her chest at the thought of harming James, and she would not allow it.

"We are not drinking James, not tonight, not ever." She nearly growled, he was shocked by the determination in her voice and her urge to protect a stranger, but as she ascended the stairs he followed. Hidden away in a spare room was an ice box of sorts and within was six vials of blood, pure, as it had come from only the healthiest of patients and her personal preference, O negative. She pulled two out and lugged Adam back to her room where she grabbed the small glass he had given her and from his own bag he produced a similar one, though his would have been years older than hers.

The glasses were filled with the sweet essence of blood and with a small toast they tipped the glasses back and fell into a world of ecstasy.

A/N: The composition Adam is playing is Beethoven's Romance No. 2 in F major, Op. 50.


	3. 2

_The Brighton Estate, London; April 13, 1913_.

Izabella woke to her head resting on something solid, and fleshy, at the moment she was afraid it had been her choice victim from the party but the way he was curled, cradling her head she knew it be Adam and the panic ceased. Groggily she stood, nearly tripping over the heavy skirt and bodice from her gown the prior night as she made her way to the mirror, lazily staring at her rustled appearance.

With the back of her pale hand she wiped away the dried blood on her lips and blinked a few times. She pulled back a curtain at the far side of the room, away from the still sleeping Adam and relished in the warmth it provided against her skin, similar to the warmth she had felt with James. Soundlessly walking back to the bed she knelt down and lifted the pillow that he was so intent on keeping over his head. His eyes flashed open and a scowl settled on his lips.

"Come on Adam, up we get." It was rare for him to smile but at her foolish and rather terrible impression of a Cockney accent he did, and with a little more persuasion he sat up leaning against the headboard of her bed; sleep still heavy in his eyes.

"You are insufferable, woman." He glared at the woman who, unlike him and the others, could stand in the sun without turning to ash and stone, he knew the deal was of dark magic but had no interest in the specifics so long as he did not lose her. Lazily she plaited her hair before tugging off the paper thin chemise and searching throughout her drawers for something to wear.

The dress she settled on was simple in design compared to the gown she had worn the previous night, the wrapped and layered material was flowing and much to her satisfaction did not require a corset, a tie cinched in her waist. Looking herself over, she gave a content sigh before looking at her rather unimpressed house guest. "I would have much rather seen you parade around in nothing at all." Raising her hand to her chest she gasped, feigning to be appalled but the flattery was still there, hidden deep in his words.

With a quick glance to the mantle timepiece she realized the late hour that they had woken, it was already nearing two in the afternoon, such sleep was common after drinking, especially when she had put off the need for so long. In two hours it would be time for tea and the hope that the young Captain from the party would show up was more than strong. "Oh my, I fear you may be swooning dear Belle." In annoyance she reached over and swatted his arm as if a fly had landed up his skin.

Hastily she powdered her nose and darkened her lashes and in the mirror she watched as Adam stood, stretching like a cat after a nap before pulling an ancient tunic over his head, it was easy to see that he was a pack rat, as the article of clothing had to have belonged in the seventeenth century. She barely paid him any mind when he stood behind her, avoiding the sunlight that had moved to shine on the bed. "I must away," her golden eyes dulled, if only the slightest, tipping her chin back he leaned forward, though other times she was skittish to accept his kiss, this time when his lips ghosted over hers she yielded to him. "Until next time." With those words he was gone, seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Slipping on her daily heels she aided the workers that cleaned and polished floor from last night's gathering, the smell of a lavish crumb cake wafted through the air from the kitchen and she smiled at the heavenly scent, but continued carrying about the chores she would do daily as well. When her maid rushed to the garden she was nearly out of breath and Belle was clearly shocked but she excitedly flailed her arms about, pointing towards the driveway.

"Miss, the Captain and Major from last night are coming down the drive." Wiping the sweat from her brow she stood and gathered the clipped fresh flowers, brushing off her skirt and completely forgetting her shoes in the dirt patch, she walked to the front of the house. The rattle of the car's engine was unpleasant as it came up her drive, dust following the machine. The rattling stopped when they neared the circle. James quickly hopped from the seat wearing a bright smile. The waistcoat he wore was completely undone and the shirt beneath wrinkled a bit but he looked dashing.

"I hope you don't mind that we came a bit early," he glanced back at Jamie who walked around the front of the car with a much more sophisticated air to him, "But I do think Jamie has a keen interest in your Topthorn." The Major extended his hand and Belle shook his hand firmly although James was quickly to pull her knuckles to his lips, a flush of color coming to his cheeks.

"Well, I would be glad to show you Topthorn, but first I need to put these in a vase and perhaps freshen up. Please follow me." James fell in step with Belle and observed the flowers in her arms, a select few were fairly common but seemed more extraordinary against her dress and skin, but what caught his attention was the one that resembled a rose in petals and color but it dawned on him that it was not a rose when there were no thorns on the stem.

"That wouldn't happen to be a middlemist red, would it?" she slowed her pace for a moment and singled out the bloom, extending it to James, who with the utmost delicacy cradled it in his palms. "This is one of the rarest flowers in the world," Izabella smiled at his knowledge about the plant, and indeed, it was one of the rarest, and most difficult for her to grow.

"At first these little prats gave me trouble, but with the right touch they grow beautifully. I have a tree in the garden that produces hundreds of flowers in the spring." She looked about the foyer and waved Tutti over, passing the maid the bushel of flowers to be arranged and presented when it was time for tea. James and Jamie stood somewhat awkwardly but she waved for them to follow further into the house, stopping at a room that was completely furnished with cool tones of white and grey. "I shan't be long gentleman, then I will gladly show you Topthorn and perhaps we can all enjoy a cuppa."

She stole away to her room, pulling off the soiled gown, a foolish smile plastered to her face the entire time. Jamie looked to his friend with a wary gaze, but then he chuckled and clapped the Captain on the back. "You're caught Jim, just like that, hook, line, and sinker." The Major shook his head at James, a vivid rush of color encompassing his cheeks, even spreading across his nose, but defiantly he turned, looking over the excess amount of books that lined the shelves that were dated as far back as seventeen-hundred.

The click of her shoes on the polished hardwood floor drew both men back to the center of the room, red hair had been redone in a tighter braid, her golden eyes captured the light of the sun and seemed to glow, but what was odd to the Captain and Major though was her clothing. Close fitting jodhpurs hugged her thighs and were neatly tucked into a worn pair of riding boots, the billowing white tunic did nothing to accentuate her form but it left James speechless all the same.

"Oh come you two, dresses are impractical for riding and working with horses, you look as if I am dressed like a harlot." After curt apologizes and sweet words Belle lead the two officers to her stables, the horses nickered as they saw the figures approaching and without hesitation she dug into the sack at the door, pulling out a handful of sugar cubes. Passing each stall she recited the residents names, holding at a single cube for each to take and lastly they halted at Topthorn, the beast stamped his hoof into the straw covered ground excitedly, seemingly remembering the Captain from the previous night.

"This young man is Topthorn, a bit rowdy at times, but given another year I have no doubt he will be the finest gelding this estate has seen in the last century." Rustling to grip his reins she held them tightly and opened the stall door, leading the midnight horse into the sun. Belle held the reins with a firm hand as the Major inspected the animal thoroughly. Topthorn though, was attempting to follow the strange man. James on the other hand, gave her a rather fine smile at the way she could control the rowdy thing but at last Jamie asked for the reins himself and she yielded the leather to him.

"This fellow is built already, I wonder how he rides?" Expectantly he looked to Belle, his upper lip twitching the slightest bit, the tuft of dark brown hair growing shambolic with the wind.

"I've ridden him once, he rides as fine as one of the King's but I must say that he deserves a proper amount of time before he grows accustomed to the saddle and the weight of a grown man." The horse in question stamped a hoof, throwing his mane to the other side as if agreeing to the lady's words. Jamie had the beginnings of a small smile.

"What say you to one hundred and fifty guineas and I take this fine lad home?" Belle smiled and extended her hand to which he firmly gripped and gave a good hard shake.

"You've got yourself a deal Major, now how about that tea?" She looked over her shoulder and smiled at James. A young stable hand took the reins of the horse, leading Topthorn back into the stables to be readied for a trip to his new home. The heels of her boots clicked softly on the floor as she led the two to her tea room, portraits and paintings covered the antiqued finish of the walls, a fading Persian rug sat beneath a stiff back lounge and low table but before a wide window sat a polished table, four chairs surrounding and the flowers she had harvested earlier sat in a delicate vase as the centerpiece.

"This is a fine establishment to be up kept and headed by a single woman." At that statement she realized that while Jamie was undoubtedly a fine officer he was not aware of a woman's capabilities, especially her own. Without the two noticing she rolled her eyes, motioning for them to sit.

"I assure you that I can handle the affairs of my estate, I have done so since I was seventeen." She almost smirked at his shock, and at the ease of which impartial truths slipped from her tongue. True, she had inherited her father's estate and fortune after his, and her mother's passing as she was their only surviving child, though that was easily two hundred and ten years ago. But like the others she had met during her time they did not suspect a thing. Izabella did not miss the smile that threatened to form on James's lips as she had witty retorted to his friend's rather inappropriate comment.

Tutti brought a platter forward, three porcelain cups circled a teapot of matching make and design and on a side dish were three squares of the crumb cake that had been baked prior in the day, especially for this occasion. The splashing of milk and dropping of sugar cubes rang out in the room for only a second before nothing more than small talk emerged between the three.

Belle sighed, wishing to be alone with the Captain but she did not trust herself as of yet, so while Jamie spoke of some dowdy topic she silently sipped her tea, always eyeing James from the corner of her golden eye. It took a moment to realize that she had been asked a question and the two expecting faces told her they wished to know her answer but she laughed quietly, setting her cup down to the table.

"I am so sorry, it seems the fairies may have taken me away there for a moment." James laughed quietly, the good humor of her comeback was one he had only heard his younger sister use. Jamie scoffed, as if being so distracted was simply only something that would happen to a woman.

"How long have you been raising horses, Miss Brighton?" He repeated, the annoyance visible almost as if he expected her actions and words to resemble a lower officer that he could command at will. She breathed in the scent of the tea, light and almost fruity before pouring a second cup.

"Essentially all my life, I grew up with horses and when my mother and father passed I refused to sell them as others recommended that I sell my estate and grounds and seek to marry. It was not in my nature, and is still not in my nature." The Major grimaced at the thought of a woman rebelling from the patriarchy but James had a wide grin though it only showed in his eyes, his older sister was a suffragette and he was easily convinced to see the value of women beyond housewifery.

"You do a fine job Belle, I have not seen better horses around these parts." She smiled at the Captain's flattery and returned her attention to nursing her tea whilst the men ate the fresh cake. Belle almost wished that he was not in the military, if only for selfish intentions, as she had heard the news of unrest in the European mainland and surely they would be deployed in time. She sighed, sitting back, looking out the window to the eastern side of the estate, where open meadows and pastures rolled until the next forest line.

Five-thirty came and so did six o'clock before the Major stood and bid his farewells, promising payment for Topthorn within the week, truth be told she cared little for the money. James took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I'll see you soon, yes? It would be tragic if those blasted fairies came and took you away." She shook her head at his playful teasing but still she held his hand within hers.

"I certainly hope so, who else will save me from those dreadful creatures?" His mirthful laughter was contagious and for a moment they stood in silence until Jamie signaled that it was time to be going, and reluctant to let her small hand go he placed another innocent kiss to her knuckles, unaware that he was kissing the hand of a creature of the night.

"Until next time, Belle." His voice was soft and hopeful and she waved them off as they went off for the night. She eyed her maid, noticing that she had been eavesdropping from the window, the drapes pulled aside and almost ashamed the maid came forward.

"That Major Stewart is a fine man." The maid sighed in serenity, her chestnut eyes glazed over as though she was already love-struck. Belle laughed and placed her hand on the maid's shoulder, assuring her that she was not to be held for her actions, but with a haughty smile she stepped back.

"A bit of a pompous git too." With a snigger between the two women the lady of the house nodded to carry on about the evening duties and without a full meal she retired for the night, placing the hardly worn clothing on the settee at the foot of her four poster bed, antique in every sense although the mattress had been replaced on three separate occasions.

She waited until the midnight hour came before setting aside the book she had been reading and quietly walking to her ice box, the hunger she felt was the strongest she could remember and so instead of a single vial she walked away with two, leaving her supply to be almost drained. Popping the top off the glass tube she did not even bother with her delicate glass, instead she drank in a way that made her hunger seem all the move primal, and for the first night since she had been turned Izabella was insatiable.


	4. 3

"When you separate an entwined particle and you move both parts away from the other, even at opposite ends of the universe, if you alter or affect one, the other will be identically altered or affected."

 _The Brighton Estate, London; April 17, 1913_.

The ladies of the town gathered at the estate, it was the annual tea in which Izabella opened her home to guests, which were mainly the young dames and ladies that sought to socialize with their mysterious host. Such activities were an act of goodwill, and perhaps to ease the suspicion that may have surrounded her, but the parlor and dining room was scatted with prim and properness, scones and biscuits laid out with a variety of dressings to add to the tea.

Izabella sighed, quietly joining in on some of the conversations, politely answering questions but other than that she did not necessarily enjoy the happenings that she immersed herself in. In fact, she loathed it. Tutti scuttled along pouring tea and aiding the guests in whatever way they could demand of her but ignoring the wishes for refills in the moment she came to the head of the table, a large smile on her face. "Miss, Captain Nicholls is here to see you." The maid spoke lowly and Belle's eyes widened and naturally the ladies grew curious but Tutti assured her that the guests would be dealt with properly and without hesitation she stole away.

Smoothing down the skirt of her dress slipped out of the scullery door before making her way around the house if only to keep her nosy attendants out of her personal business, as a last minute thought, she shed the pale green gloves and continued on. His back was turned to her, sandy toned hair parted to one side and neatly combed. The white shirt he wore was proudly held up by his shoulders and sloppily tucked into tan trousers, the suspenders wore with the ensemble were too loose to serve their purpose but she smiled none the less. She stopped at the bushes, "James!" he turned at the call of his name and followed her around the side of the manor where she was certain none of the ladies could spy on the two as they so liked to gossip.

His eyes shone with a child-like quality of mischief, his brows raised in silent questioning. "It's my annual tea party, though this year I was positively drowning in boredom." James's laugh was soft, and it caressed her skin in a way that made her shiver. "The Duchess of York seems to think that my success here is because of witchcraft, can you believe such a thing?" Her voice was exasperated, but quiet, as if this was all very secretive, vaguely she could feel the moisture from the ground seeping through the fabric of her gown at the knees but that hardly registered.

"What an absurd thing to say," she smiled at his light form of teasing. "Those fairy scamps have not had a hold of you lately have they?" This time she shook her head, a coy smile on her painted lips, for a short moment she thought about kissing him, but alas, that would surely leave a terrible impression on her person. She was a lady, and she had to act the part no matter how taken she was with this young Captain, no matter how often she thought about sinking her fangs in to his neck. She sighed whilst James looked up at the window above their heads, the floorboards creaking.

Rummaging in the kitchen near where they stood prompted alarm within Belle. "Ride with me?" She hardly gave him time to answer before she had his hand in hers, racing to the stables. She abruptly halted in her tracks and the young Captain nearly knocked into her back but he kept his distance and determinedly she tossed a saddle on the back of a palomino steed, hooves stamping into the ground excitedly at the revelation and with haste she kicked off the dainty heels and slipped her feet into older work boots before hiking up the skirt of her dress and mounting. "Atta boy, Glaurung." Her voice was a hypnotic whisper as she patted the beast's neck then held her hand out to James. He hesitated for a moment, assuming that he would have his own horse to ride but the thought of being so close to her made his heart race, a thrill of excitement shooting through his body.

"You better hold on, Captain." She teased and waveringly he placed his hands on her waist as she urged the horse to move and soon they were cantering through the open pasture. Her scarlet hair had began to fall free from the loose braid and despite propriety telling James that it would be improper, he wrapped his arms further around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. There were no words to describe her scent, he could barely find the words to describe the woman it belonged to either. He could smell roses and jasmine, but there was something darker about her, forbidden, if he had to pick a single word and it drove him mad. The warmth pressed against her back rivaled what the sun could provide, she almost feared that she could grow accustomed to it, to him, a piece of her mind said that she already had.

As they reached the tree line, Glaurung slowed and she let one hand come free from holding the reins, placing it atop James's hands. The pace was steady after they tread into the shaded woods, the sound of running water was a pleasant additive to the natural environment that surrounded them. When she was satisfied with their whereabouts she slipped off the saddle, James following behind her offering to tie off Glaurung's reins. The small stream was clear, like it always had been, and with it childhood memories came rushing back to her, or the nights she had brought Adam out here, but that was decades ago. Now she had James, and frankly at the moment, he was the only person she cared about.

"You are a very audacious rider." His voice, so close to her, sent chills down her spine, a rarity at best. With a turn she gave her best charming smiled and moved closer to the stream, kicking her boots aside. Her mind told her to swim, but propriety was winning at the moment and while she would have gladly went without a cloth covering her in private, or even with Adam, instead she moved her skirt up and sat on the bank of the stream, the cool water rushing over the soles and tops of her feet. She turned to look over her shoulder, a second pair of boots sat next to where she left hers but the soft crunch of grass told her the James was at her side, and true he was. His pants were rolled up to the top of his calves as he sat at her side, placing his feet in the water as well.

"I come out here whenever I feel like that house is suffocating me, there's just something about the crisp water and woods. It helps keep me grounded." Wistfully she looked up at the canopy above her head, peaks of light brushed over her skin, the effect made her look ethereal. Diffidently he touched her cheek, silently pleading with her to look at him. The way her features softened and how she leaned further into his touch was strikingly intimate in a way. A lump formed in his throat when the light hit her eyes, the color melted into golden rays, circling an eclipse. He wished to see her eyes at sunset, because he knew they would hold a sunset all of their own.

"I think the fairies may have gotten to you this time," her silvery voice struck him to the core, and oh the way she smiled, it was as if looking upon her were a sin, and if it was he would gladly become a heretic. Hesitant to lose his warmth she pulled his hand away but traced spellbinding designs into his palm.

"Belle, I must ask you a question." The vampiress hummed, the sound coming from deep within her throat, her attention still partially transfixed on the soft skin of his hand. "The Officer's dinner is approaching, I would be honored if you would accompany me. Will you?" The move may have been bold but she rested her head on his shoulder, freeing his hand should he wish to reclaim it, a smile on her lips.

"I would love to James." Belle observed as he stood and stepped further into the water, so that it just brushed the cuffs of his trouser though it was obvious he did not care about them. Extending his hand he waited for the lady to take it but instead she stood and lifted her skirts, dancing across the larger rocks until she was naught but a foot away from him. He surprised her when he splashed water in her directions, purposefully missing her but hinting at his young and spirited personality.

"May I ask what day this dinner is on?" He stood on a rock as well, his feet coated with silt and mud from the rivulet.

"A week from today." She began skipping from rock to rock, holding a graceful and precarious balance that came with her attuned perception and senses, but on occasion, and granted only a select few over the course of two centuries she still was a klutz. The rock was slick and her foot slid, she was falling backwards. Izabella never hit water, instead she hit something decidedly better, through strands of hair that had fallen into her face she looked up at James with wide eyes. He left no room for disagreement in a surge of protectiveness, he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bank, carefully setting her down.

"Are you okay?" In embarrassment more than anything she laid back, tossing her arm over her eyes but she nodded, it would take a lot more than a simple slip to cause her harm. She bit her tongue, thinking of all the women that would still be at her house but despite that she removed her arm, only to see James's cheerful eyes staring down at her.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" He smiled and she melted a little, but the way the sun was beginning to lower in the sky did not go unnoticed, her senses grew fixated on him, and nothing else. The masculine smell mixed with fresh soil and other rustic attributes; and despite how she tried to avoid what the coming night was doing to her she could hear his heartbeat steady and strong.

"If the lady wishes then I will stay." The Captain stood and extended his hand, Izabella gripped his hand and with a gentle pull she was on her feet, her free hand resting on his chest. The wide neck and dip of the shirt made her hand rest on both fabric and skin, she nearly whimpered at the feel of the flat planes of his chest. James could not see the lust in her eyes but at her small mew he mistook it for a pain in her ankle and without thought he lifted her into his arms. She had never hated him more in that moment. "Perhaps you should call a physician, just to be sure that it is nothing chronic." His hand rested on her knee through the material of her skirt as he had placed her on the saddle of Glaurung, the beast gave him a wary look, as if charging him with the harm that had come to Belle.

The ride back to the stables was much slower than the hastened pace that had took them to the woods. Her back rested against his warm chest, her head against his shoulder, she was intoxicated at the mere proximity of them. Lethargically she looked up at the sky, the shades of orange and red mixed with blues and pale tones of pink, painting the sky in a manner that rivaled Moran's works of art. Glaurung halted when the Captain pulled back on the reins, Belle could faintly hear that not all of the guests had gone and after passing the mount to a stable boy she took hold of his hand and pulled him to the side of the house. Cautiously slipping in through the scullery door.

A maid eyed the two with amusement but carried on with her duties, barely paying the pair any more attention. The soft hum of the electric lights illuminated the figures who stood in the foyer, the annoyingly high pitched voices were being shooed away by Tutti. She smiled at her maid as she was also a good friend and took James's hand leading him into the open hallway. "My lady!" the house worker was frozen in shock at the sight of her ladyship, her hair was ruffled, her gown a mess, heaven knew those stains would take forever to be cleaned from the fine silk, but at the presence of another she lowered her head. "Captain Nicholls."

But with those respects her slightly livid mood returned. "Your guests were unrelenting with their questioning of your whereabouts, Miss. The Duchess herself claimed to see you run off to the woods." Belle laughed softly and calmed the maid, with sweet words and praises of her management of the affair in her absence.

"Is dinner prepared?" The maid nodded and Belle led the Captain to the dining room, where she refused to have electric lights, much like in her bedroom as well, a candelabra sat in the middle of the oak table, the wax from lit candles slow beading down the stem. The soft glow, in James's opinion, was perfection. There was something about her that seemed to not fit in with modern advances, she looked at home with candlelight, a classic eloquence surrounding her, taking his breath away. Snapping out of his thoughts he quickly stepped forward and pulled out a chair for her to sit in, pushing her slowly back to the table. "There is something about the light of candles, the soft ambiance, how the light can soften almost anything."

Her smile was small, sincere and enrapturing for the Captain as he sat across from her, two steaming bowls of cream of lemon soup were brought out and placed before them, a loaf of crusty granary herb bread was also brought out, glasses of Sauvignon Blanc poured, a personal favorite choice in wine from the French countryside and when paired with this meal the combination was exquisite. Dabbing a napkin to her lips she sighed in contentment the hunger quailed by the food.

"I have not had soup like this since my grandmother passed on." Sadly she smiled at his statement, her old time recipe was a staple in her family and in the time it was created lemons were a luxury to be savored and even with her family's vast wealth a soup such as this was an indulgence. Blue eyes were reminiscent with memories from family gatherings, his two sisters and cousins waiting as patiently as they possibly could to have a slice of the homemade bread whilst it was still warm, or sneaking to steal a biscuit before supper. They sat in silence, lost in memories.

"Belle?" Her golden eyes looked up from the empty bowl to the handsome Captain. "Thank you, for this lovely afternoon." She shook her head in amusement.

"I believe I should be thanking you for stealing me away from the ladies. I fear a minute more of gossip and I would have been driven mad." It shocked her how comfortable she felt around him, how natural their conversations were, the attraction magnetic. The dinnerware was cleared as the clock struck seven, they both stood but James walked to her side, offering the crook of his arm. Her smiles had grown more refined and scarce throughout the meal as the sharpened canines appeared, constantly reminding her of the needs that had to be fulfilled, but she pushed those as far away as she could as she and the Captain stood in the foyer.

"I am afraid I must bid you good night now, but I would love to take you into town on the morrow. I might even daresay introduce you to my sisters." She tittered at his words, a flush of color encompassing pale cheeks.

"That sounds lovely." His smile seemed to stretch ear to ear. As per usual he lifted her hand to his lips, carefully returning it to her side after an extended moment.

"Until tomorrow then." The commotion of the car's engine quickly faded down the long drive and with an unconfined grin she leaned against the back of the closed door. Izabella could feel her fangs lightly tugging on her bottom lip, a reminder that she had to feed. She frowned as she pulled the last glass tube from the icebox, noting that at some point she would have to venture into town during the night. Regardless she returned to her room nearly screaming at the sight of Adam on her bed, his appearance completely unexpected, and with ample frustration she picked the vial up from the floor, thankful it had not shattered.

"Adam!" Her voice was a hiss but he did not respond, not even when she slapped his cheek or pulled him up by the lapels of his coat. "Damn you Adam." She cursed, noticing how pale he was and regardless of her own hunger she uncorked the vial and poured half the contents into the man's mouth. At once his eyes shot open and he heaved a breath, his lungs filling with air. The sound of another slap to his cheek rung in the silence of the room. "What is wrong with you? Do not ever frighten me like that again!" He sighed, rubbing his stinging cheek, but did not attempt to push her off his waist.

"Apologies, I think it was minor sepsis from a lovely little French girl." Belle rolled her eyes and drank the remaining few drops of blood, barely enough to sate her, but for the night it would do. He admired her as her head lolled to the side, she was the opposite of his precious Eve in many ways but having both of them made him complete. Haphazardly he rolled her over, untying the strings from the bodice of her gown.

"Don't jest about that Adam." He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, his hands roaming over the shapely figure, craving physical contact. He frowned at the dirt that stained the material at her knees and the hems of the skirt.

"What in Polidori's name have you been doing today?" She tugged at his shoulders, slipping off the overcoat and laughed as the day's events replayed, the tea party, sneaking away like a lovesick school girl. It had been decades since she felt this happy and alive.

"I went riding with James, to the stream in the woods it is nearly impossible not to get a little filthy." He grimaced at the mention of the Captain, but the way she smiled while speaking his name made him reconsider his intentions with her that night and instead of taking her in ways he had prior done he simply stripped them both down and held her in his arms. Izabella was content with that, so long as Adam did not interfere when James would come and retrieve her for what they had planned.


	5. 4

_"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach." -Elizabeth Browning_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; April 18, 1913._

Her head ached, oh how it throbbed within her skull, pounding and unrelenting. Izabella rolled over to an empty bed, Adam was gone and because he lacked warmth the sheets where he laid were cold, as if he had never been there in the first place. The groan caught in her throat was grotesque, evident of the pain her body was in. The sunlight filled the open room, the windows open and letting in the spring air, she could clearly smell the blossoms in her gardens as the morning dew still graced their petals. But at the moment she hated it all, the light, the scent, herself. Curtains fell before the windows and in the darkest corner Adam appeared wearing a white lab coat with an outdated binaural stethoscope draped around his pale neck, leather medical bag in hand.

He knelt beside the bed in which she laid, fumbling around with the contents until he pulled out three obsolete flagons. "Belle, I am sorry about last night; and I know that you did not drink enough so here. O negative." Adam curled her fingers around the tarnished metal flask, the lid already undone; with her free hand, Belle stroked his cheek, feeling the stubble of his chin and jaw and groggily smiled.

With a grimace she pushed herself back to the headboard the sheet falling away from her body, leaving it vulnerable to the nipping air. She drank, but still in moderation, the same amount as if she had filled the delicate glass that sat bedside. A small droplet sat on the corner of her lips when she managed a small smile and before Adam could stop himself he leaned forward, kissing the corner of her mouth, his tongue tickling her cheek as he cleaned the blood. Izabella made a sharp intake as his lips pressed almost fully against hers and after a second she pushed him back.

"You shrewd little Lothario!" He was quick to crawl over her, placing himself back on the side of the bed he usually inhabited during his stays, the goofy half smile on his lips was only proving her point. After a moment she glanced at the clock, it was still early in the day, not yet nine but in a few hours James would be here to take her away and at that she felt the panic to ready herself. "If you are going to stay then make yourself useful and start my bath." He scowled at her order and only moved when she hit him with a pillow, feathers threatening to spew out over the room at her vigor.

Izabella's dressing gown was thin from wear and age, the silk-like robe that hung openly was shapeless. The wooden wardrobe was growing cluttered but in spite of the mess she pulled out an off-white day dress. The eyelet design was in small flowers, lace inserts graced the elbow length sleeves and a simple bow that was a lush burgundy would suffice to add color. From there she searched through the jewelry tray on the fading wooden bureau, only settling on a minuscule pair of earrings, gold, of course, tiny rubies set within the studs. She sighed laying them next to the dress, wishing that she could still wear silver but now she was adjusted to the life of gold and the occasional platinum piece. Adam carelessly wandered back into her room, bowing mockingly.

"Your bath awaits you, my Lady." She walked past the insufferable man, patting his cheek condescendingly before taking to the bath. The copper claw foot tub sat in the middle of the room, filled with steaming water and scented oils, the experience nothing short of therapeutic. Hanging her dressing gown on the hook she sank down into the water, submerging herself beneath the surface for only a moment, soaking the scarlet curls until they were pulled straight by their own weight. Cool fingers worked through her scalp and she sighed, leaning back Izabella smiled at Adam. His lips were pursed, his eyes distant.

"I miss her." She knew he spoke of Eve, they had been apart for nearly twenty years, but they had already married six different times, each in a new century. Izabella adored Eve for her wisdom, her vast knowledge of the natural world and literature. Lackadaisically, she lifted her hand from the water, reaching back until she could curl her fingers lightly around his neck, thumb rubbing complacent circles.

"I know you do. Have you written her lately?" He nodded, resting his head on the edge of the tub, hands running over pale shoulders. "Perhaps you should invite her to stay here? Where is she at now?" His movements ceased as he reached for a small pitcher to help rinse the lather from Belle's hair.

"Eve is in Tangier, visiting Marlowe for an extended and unknown amount of time." She could hear the despair in his voice, the water lapped at the edge of the bath as she turned, her nose brushing against his.

"I have a proposition," he raised his brow at Belle's words, urging her to continue. "When I get back tonight we can go wherever you wish for the night, or do whatever you wish." He smiled, dumping a pitcher of water atop her head, she scowled at him but in silence she continued on with her bath until the water had cooled. Toweling her hair dry she threw the vibrant red stands over her shoulders, squinting at the unruly mop of forming curls and the vampire that was now curled up on her bed.

She pulled on the dress, the soft material coming to her ankles, the sash drawing her slim waist in. The small heeled shoes were the last touch she added before pinning loose curls back and away from her face. Pleased with the reflection looking back at her she closed her bedroom door and ventured down the stairs where Tutti awaited, complementing her endlessly while passing her a glass of juice and a small pastry.

"Excuse my boldness, Miss, but do you think that involvement with a soldier is the best decision? What if a war were to come and sweep him away from you?" The maid sat across from the lady of the house, her own glass filled with water, a half-eaten pastry sitting before her on a small plate. Of course it was not the best decision, allowing herself to grow close to anyone was not a wise decision, and so for two centuries she isolated herself, only having her staff and Adam as company. Then again a soldier may be the best person she could grow close too.

"I do not know, Tutti. I care for Captain Nicholls, dearly, and I wish for nothing but his safety but I do not know." Feeling out of place the maid excused herself to the kitchen to continue the small breakfast, Izabella sat at the table, her hands folded in her lap, cursing the Captain that was meandering his way into her black heart. Soon the rattle of a car's engine became audible and not wishing to run out to greet James she stood behind the door, awaiting his knock and when it came she opened the door, letting a few seconds pass before doing so.

"James!" She smiled, forgoing properness as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The Captain tensed at the contact but quickly relaxed and settled his hands on her waist. His senses already in overdrive with the scent of her still damp hair tickling his nose. Izabella pulled back, her hands still resting on his shoulders.

"Belle, you look stunning." A shade of pink rushed to her cheeks, she adverted her eyes for a moment, adjusting to the warmth that she could feel from his hands. White sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms that had been kissed by the sun, dirty blond hair neatly combed and styled.

"And you look handsome as ever." Her compliments never sat easily with him, they made his heart flutter as if it could fly from his chest and into her hands, but he smiled nonetheless.

"I let today's events slip and now I fear my sisters will torment me if I do not introduce you before sundown." Izabella smiled, lost in the warmth of the spring sun and the smile that James wore. Taking his offered hand the two walked to the car where he promptly opened the door, aiding the lady into the seat before he moved to occupy the driver's seat, setting the automobile into motion. She watched the passing trees turn into the city of London, the brick buildings had grown taller, and more common. Though people still bustled about, theirs lives a permanent rush and race to the grave. Men wore top hats and bowlers, the ladies with their prim attitudes walked with their noses upturned, broad brimmed hats showcasing feathers and taxidermied birds. The roads were still dirt, cobbled stone in some places and horses still pulled buggies and carriages, but it passed and once more they were in the wilderness, the industrial smell of the city disappearing to crisper air.

James watched her from the corner of his eye noticing the way she smiled at nature and the gentle breeze further rustling the curls that hung to the small of her back. He wished desperately that he had his sketch pad and charcoal, because such beauty deserved to be captured and preserved for the world of appreciate for years to come. He turned off the beaten path and continued to drive until a chimney peaked over the trees. Belle could easily tell it was a Victorian manor, though the gothic architectural themes were still prominent in the design.

"It's been in our family for a century but its home." Izabella smiled over at the Captain, her eyes lingering on the way his cheeks seemed to always be flushed. He pulled under a shelter, quickly moving around and opening her door, her hand settled in his, his hand cautiously placed on her waist. James offered the crook of his arm but Izabella smiled, her golden eyes looking up at him beneath dark lashes as she laced her fingers through his. His cheeks only reddened more.

"I've always admired this style of architecture." Her own home built in the mid sixteen hundreds, the Baroque traditions visible in the delicate attention to detail in structure and décor, some of which had begun to fade.

"I mean no offence, but you have strange tastes in comparison to most women. It is refreshing." Her lips curved into a smirk, if only he knew. Hooves pounded on the ground, from the field came two horses, seemingly racing across the open space, playful banter being shouted back and forth between the feminine voices. Belle stole a glance at James, his lips pursing at the sight of his sisters so early. Dust was raised when they halted feet away from the couple, quickly hoping off their mounts, smoothing their skirts down.

"Jim!" The shorter of the two grinned and unnoticeably Izabella nudged James in the ribs at the nickname of sorts. Her hair was blonde, much like his, her eyes wide and green, freckles littering her cheeks.

"Liv, can you not see you're embarrassing the poor man. Look at him, red as a beet." The other stated, her brown hair neatly pulled back in a braid, eyes the same blue as James's.

"Oh hush Katy. It's just our darling brother, he can handle it." Izabella stifled her laughter, her petite hand covering her lips as she smiled at the affectionate display. James's sighed and ran his hand through styled hair, tousling the short cut.

"Belle, these are my sisters. Olivia and Katherine." The vampiress extended her hand expecting them to return a firm handshake but instantly the two wrapped their arms around the woman, their forwardness shocking but not unwelcome. She laughed and the two sisters stepped back, matching smiles gracing their wheat toned skin.

"Oh, Jim; father needs your help in the stables with the fresh bales." He eyed his sisters, trying to sense deception or an underlying scheme to pester Belle with questions, maybe they hoped to chase her away but he sensed nothing of the sorts, and kissing Belle's knuckles he promised a prompt return and walked in the direction of the stables. She almost feared the looks on the girl's faces but they stepped forward, each grabbing a cool hand and pulled her into the interior of the house, leaving her no time to admire the portraits and paintings, or the heirlooms that could have graced the shelves. The pale colored room that they pulled her into was filled with sitting furniture and as if teenagers they sat on chairs and lounged on settees, politely Belle sat in a high back chair, her ankles crossed.

"So tell us everything, where did you meet our darling brother?" Katherine began, she appeared to be the eldest child, but just by a few months, no more than a year, Olivia propped her chin up on folding hands, awaiting the tale as James had said little about the woman he seemed to be enamored with.

"We met at one of my spring soirées. He and Major Stewart attended." Her answers were vague at best but the two sisters pulled more information from her through pestering questions. She detailed that they had walked outside for a few moments, speaking namely of horses and such topics and how she went to bed that night cursing herself for kissing his cheek though she specifically left out the rest of the night she spent with Adam, lest a blush arise on her cheeks. Both Katherine and Olivia giggled, fully enthralled with Belle, the youngest going dreamy-eyed at the mention of Jamie.

"What happened the next time you met?" Olivia teased and from there she informed them that the following day both men had returned, the Major with the intention of buying Topthorn, and James just to see her. They shared a pleasant tea and after a few hours of chit chat both left for the night.

"I must ask, did you push Jim into a river? He came home absolutely filthy yesterday." Belle covered her face for a moment, recalling the details of her annual tea and how they stole into the woods to the stream that ran behind her house, and that he had went barefooted, lying on the grassy bank as well. She made short mention about the upcoming officer's dinner and that she intended to go with James but they took that subject and ran. The questions becoming more obscure and persistent, ranging from if they were secretly engaged now to if he had mentioned his ridiculous habit of drawing aimless pictures.

"Do you have a dress?" It was Katherine who had asked, she had plenty of formal gowns from past time periods and a select few from the current trends but she did mean to have a new one made. Belle shook her head. "Good, his favorite color is purple, though he'll never admit it." His sister, Olivia chimed in, a teasing smile gracing her youthful lips.

"But his dress uniform is blue, not dark enough to be navy and not light enough to be royal." Izabella took notes mentally, listening to them rambling on about what dress style they believed would suit her the best, carefully noting her petite yet curvaceous frame, and the extraordinary paleness of her skin.

"How old are you?" The youngest questioned, it was not a ridiculous thing to ask, in fact she did not even know James's exact age, only that he appeared to be two or three years older than her physical appearance. But she had been twenty-five the day Adam had turned her and for one hundred and ninety-eight years she remained twenty-five.

Her voice was meek when she spoke the number, Katherine tapped her chin, the silver wedding band on her ring finger catching the light and despite all her differences she could not bear to be near the metal for an extended period of time. "That makes Jim four years older." Belle almost wanted to laugh, she was far older than him but maintaining her ladylike composure she nodded, her estimation had not been entirely wrong. The clock chimed that it was one, and the three still carried on a conversation no longer focused on Belle, she found both fascinating, each was a suffragette, advocating women's rights, well-educated and while Katherine was already married Olivia was not, though the death of their mother three years ago gave her a valid excuse to return home and help their father. They had both accomplished impressive feats in their short number of years.

They were all laughing when James's found them in the sitting room, he smiled before clearing his throat. Sweat beaded on his brow and the white dress shirt had small stains now but Belle smiled back as he stole her away from his sisters. "They didn't terrorize you did they?" Izabella shook her head, a coquettish smile on her lips, at first he thought she had worn lipstick but on second look he noticed it was natural, her lips were blood red, and they always were.

He had meant to lead her outside, to walk around the grounds in peace but Belle stopped at the sight of the mahogany piano, a Steinway baby grand. The surface was polished to the point it looked to be a mirror, only her reflection showed. She had only heard Adam speak of the magnificence of such instruments as he had played one, once. "Do you play?" She quietly asked, he had the hands of a pianist, long and elegant fingers, perfect for maneuvering about the keys.

"It's been quite some time but yes, I do." Excitedly she pushed the Captain towards the instrument, the focal point of the room it was placed in. Hesitantly, he lifted the lid and pulled the stool out, one of the only songs he had memorized in his repertoire came back. Belle closed her eyes as the sound filled the air, it was a melody she had not heard, perhaps it was newly composed, but he played it beautifully, as if he had wrote it himself. It lasted but a minute or two but when he took his hands off the keys he sighed. Izabella placed her hands on his shoulders and at the contact he turned, looking up at her.

From the corner of her eye she saw his sister's spying on their activities. "That was beautiful, James." He hummed at her words and stood, taking her hand and leading her outside to a stone bench that sat below an ancient tree, its truck wide and branches strong.

"Izabella?" She looked to her side at the call of her name, unsure of himself the Captain placed his fingers through hers, both hearts sped up at the contact, but she wanted to question why he had chosen to use her full name. James wished to do this properly, though the death of her father automatically sent things down a bizarre path but as he helped his father in the stables she was undoubtedly a conversational topic. "Would you allow me to court you?" Her full lips pulled into a smile as she placed her hand on his cheek, the skin beneath her palm soft and warm, no sign of stubble to be found.

She wanted to say no, she desperately wanted to say no. In her predicament attachments would never end well, but it was so hard, oh how she wanted him to sweep her off her feet. "Yes, I will allow it." Her voice held a teasing note, but he lifted her hand to his lips smiling.

 _"Ta bouche a des couleurs divines, ma chère, et tente le baiser."_ She knew the poem he recited the line from well, even in its native tongue he spoke it fluently and reverently. Belle tucked falling hair behind her ear and looked down at their intertwined hands. For the rest of the afternoon they talked, about anything and everything, remaining beneath the old tree. For a few seconds they could both see Katherine and Olivia peaking from one of the windows, evident by the shifting curtains but that did not dissuade their conversations.

Tea came and went but they never went in to join, they simply remained content in each other's presence. When the colors of the sky began to change she frowned, kindly asking the Captain if he would return her to her own home. Instead of the car he readied a gelding, the grey and black spotted coat was unique and he praised the beast for taking the saddle so well. She mounted the horse with no problem, her skirt hitched up to nearly her thighs.

The Captain looked at the expanse milky white skin exposed to him but mentally shook his head, mounting behind her before they rode off into the night. Belle remained silent, listening to the sounds of the night and the repetitive and rhythmic beat of hooves on ground. Her head rested back on his shoulder, back pressed flush against his front. He was intoxicating, as was she, the way his breath hit her neck sent pleasure sodden shivers down her spine. At one point he feared she may slip and his arm found its way secure around her waist.

"The stars are bright tonight." Her voice was hushed, eyes fixated on the heavens above. After some time they came to a halt, each slipping from the horse's back. "James." His name was sweet in her voice.

"I'm afraid that for the next three days I will be away with Jamie, but I will see you soon Belle." He brought her knuckles to his lips, gently and chastely but she placed her hands on his cheeks, pulling him down until her lips could brush lightly over his, hesitant and timid, but his taste drove her mad with lust and if he noticed the small prick of one of her fangs against his lip he did not shy away.

"Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always," her words were gentle caresses against his lips, but in light of the way she kissed him, tentatively he returned the gesture before kissing her cheek and returning to his mount.

"Sleep well, my darling Belle." With those singsong words he rode off into the night, pushing open her door she immediately took to her room. Adam sat looking out the window, at peace, the soft moonlight making his skin glow. He watched as the Captain had brought Belle back, and when he turned away to leave; quiet footsteps on the polished hardwood floors brought his attention to the door where Belle entered.

"He is good for you Izabella, but for it to last he must know." She sighed, suddenly he sounded much more like Eve than the Adam she knew, but the words he spoke were true, eventually the truth would come out, but for the time being she would let things be.

"Have you decided what we are to do tonight?" He had thought about her promise throughout the day, but as he looked at her and the love she held in her eyes he simply wanted to be near her. The emotions she radiated were contagious and enlightening.

"Actually I have." He stood, crossing the room to stand before her, his tall body towering over her, the silence was heavy as she waited for him to speak but after a moment she rested her forehead on his chest. "I want nothing from you Belle, I simply want everything to remain as they are between us. I love you, Belle, truly I do, and I refuse to lose you completely. You mean too much to me, to Eve as well." Her arms wrapped around him, pressing into the curve of his back.

"I promise you will not lose me, ever." He remained silent his arms loosely around her, eventually he fiddled with the sash and found the buttons on her back, undoing each one until his hand could press against her bare back. "Adam." She pulled back and touched his cheek, his eyes had grown glassy. Retrieving one of the flasks from the morning, Izabella placed it bed side and tugged Adam beside her, but before they would drink she sat in front of him, his thin face held between her hands, his hands running up and down the bare skin of her back and sides. Undecidedly, she began to lean forward but he was quick to pull her flush against him, lips moving down her neck to her collarbones.

"Belle. Please." His voice was low and breathy as he laid her back, grabbing the flask from the nightstand. Izabella sadly smiled, accepting the elixir that he poured into her mouth, and then into his own, and she was lost to sensation, to touch, to taste, to ecstasy.

 _Translation: Your mouth has divine colors, my dear, and is tempting to kiss! (This is from the poem "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.)_


	6. 5

_The Brighton Estate, London; April 23, 1913_.

Izabella awaited James's return, three days had already passed and yet when she looked out the windows there was no sign of the Captain. The sun did not shine, the thick clouds had gathered in the sky heavy with rain that had yet to begin falling. Adam had disappeared for the day, but he promised his return that night. The first drop of rain that fell was large, keen senses could hear the pattering of drops on the roof as they fell, it was almost unbearable. The noise was insistent.

Her clock struck two in the afternoon and then four o'clock came, the rain had eased up, the clouds breaking for a momentary reprieve, but she declined tea that day, her hunger spiking. She sat in a small alcove, a blanket covering her legs, a worn book in her lap head resting on the glass pane of the window as the rain began once again. Adam and the nocturnal creature that he was made she did not sleep the entire night, if only to annoy her in all the ways that she loved.

Hooves pounded on her dirt drive, and reluctantly she opened her eyes. The grey and black coat of the horse should have made her alert much sooner than it did, but lethargically she squinted at the approaching figure. The rider was in a military uniform, the olive coat and khaki trousers soaked through. When sensible thoughts returned she stood, racing down stairs to the door, her maids and butlers looking on in confusion as the lady ran from the house. The grey chemise she wore was quickly soaked through, clinging to her arms and legs. Izabella rushed to open her stable doors and James rode in, raking his hand through drenched hair as he dismounted.

"Are you mad? You'll catch your death out here in this weather!" He half expected her to fall into his arms, but he knew that was not like her. The dry air of the stable and barn was almost stale compared to the sweet scent that rain provided. James's looked carelessly down at her body, the thin gown clinging to every curve and unabashedly he licked his cracking lips, his mouth going dry.

"I had to see you. Jamie and I were needed longer than expected. I had to see you, Belle." At his words she could not help but smile, if only a little before the chill sat in. Hugging her pale arms around her body she tried to keep what little body heat she had available, the Captain smiled and leaned forward, kissing her forehead quickly.

"Let's make a dash for the house. We are both in need of dry clothing." Tutti wanted badly to protest as the two left wet footprints and spots of water on the freshly mopped and polished floors but seeing her lady shiver she quickly instructed another worker to begin a fire in the sitting room. Without hesitation she escorted the Captain upstairs to a spare bedroom, gathering linens for him to dry with and a rack for his water sodden clothes to dry on.

She repeated the process for herself, stealing away to her room. Rummaging through her wardrobe and dressers she pulled out a modest gown intended for sleeping, but for lounging about the house and to stay warm it would suffice, especially as she had asked for a fire to be lit in the sitting room's fireplace. "Must you be so loud?" The hoarse voice coming from her bed should not have shocked her, but it did. Izabella jumped, startled at Adam's voice. He scowled at the woman who had interrupted his sleep. She stopped for a moment, shrugging off her wet clothing, much to the vampire's enjoyment and quickly slipped into the thin gown.

"I need an extra set of your clothes Adam," he raised an eyebrow and dug haphazardly into his bag that was bedside, pulling out a pair of lounge pants and button down tunic.

He stood and held them out of her reach when she extended her arms, meaning to take them. "Why? May I ask?" She rolled her eyes and pushed him onto the bed, ripping the clothing from his hands and clutching them to her chest, a protective flicker forming in her eyes.

"James is here and he's soaked to the bone, you two are roughly the same size so it works out perfectly." She turned on heel to return to the guest room leaving the sulking vampire to continue his rest before the night came.

"Don't bother giving them back, in fact why don't you just burn them after he's done with them." She frowned but exited her own room and returned to the one she had led James too. While her brother was still alive it served as his room, and since then had rarely been touched, at one point she considered making it into a closet of sorts, but she had never gotten around to it. Perhaps in the next century she told herself. Her knock was soft but instead of waiting for a response she slipped into the room, her eyes going wide at the sight of the Captain sans shirt, his fingers beginning to work on the buttons of his breeches. Promptly she turned, facing the wall, heat rushing to her cheeks at an alarming rate.

"I'm sorry James, I should ha-." He chuckled lightly and redid the undone buckle and zipper on his uniform's riding pants.

"You can turn around, if you wish." James's voice was shy, timid almost, a smile broke out on her red lips. She could not deny the rush of heat the sight of his bare skin sent through her cold and very much dead body. He was very close to Adam's size, though his chest was a bit broader, the muscles more defined, his legs more powerful in a sense. Her mouth was impeccably dry as she held out the set of clothing.

"They're a bit outdated, but it was the only thing I had." Gratefully he took the clothing, their hands brushing together, her breath caught and so did his, but neither noticed. Her hand curled around the wooden door, a small smile on her lips as she looked back, heart beating in her throat, butterflies had taken over her stomach. "I'll be down in the sitting room."

Izabella smiled at the maid as they passed in the hall, the sitting room had been momentarily rearranged, and heaps of old blankets mixed with pelts of fur sat feet away from the roaring fire, pillows lining the outskirts. To the right sat a platter with steaming cups of tea, honey, sugar, and milk surrounding the two porcelain mugs, waiting to be added. She could feel the flames, her skin growing warm at the proximity but she could not find feel it, not in the way others could. Sighing she draped a thick fleece blanket across her shoulders and sat, folding her legs beneath her.

The creaking floor told her that someone was approaching, all she had to do was inhale, his scent was distinct and intoxicating, but this time held the scent of spring rain as well. He sat next to her, shoulders nearly touching and almost immediately she rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes scanned over his appearance, the pants were tighter than they ever were on Adam and the ratty tunic that had to be from the eighteenth century fit in the same manner. She passed him a cup of tea, already fixed in the way she remembered he did when both he and the Major visited.

"James?" He hummed, sipping the warm drink contentedly before setting the porcelain cup aside. "Please don't go back out in this ghastly weather tonight." Flames danced in her golden eyes, absently he lifted his hand, running his thumb across her jaw; the action so bold it shocked him that she did not pull away. His hand was warm, for a moment she worried that he would think her ill because of how cold her skin was.

"Is my darling Belle asking me to stay the night?" His voice was low, the crackling of the fire almost louder than his whisper, she could feel his breath brush against her cheek, his face so close to hers. In the moment she cursed propriety and that the Captain was such a gentleman, she would have gladly led him away if it was not for the decorum that surrounded him and his family.

The aberrant smile that graced her lips was soft, only revealing the tips of sharpened canines, but James was not put off by that little slip that could have exposed what she was. Cool breath caressed his neck, "Perhaps I am." But even if she made it seem like she was uncertain James could hear the firmness in her voice, the absolute decision. He did not fancy being soaked to the bone for the second time that day either.

"Then I cannot deny the wishes of my lady." Izabella loved the teasing tone his voice help, so carefree and young, so unexpected of a Captain, whose career demanded he looked death in the face while walking straight into the danger zone. She briefly wondered if joining was by his own choice or a decision made because he felt obligated. The vampiress curled further into the dashing man at her side, their legs brushing against each other's, her head found a perfect fit between his shoulder and neck. She could hear his heart beating.

"Why did you join the army, James?" The Captain shifted but the movement threw off Izabella's precarious balance. She laughed as her head landed against his thigh, his cheeks aflame with a dark rogue but she looked up at him, her golden eyes enchanting him further and hesitantly he began wrapping a single scarlet curl around his finger his gaze moving to the stone fireplace, the dancing flames hypnotic.

"A sense of duty I suppose. My father was a member of cavalry, and his father before him. All the way back to the Revolution. I went to Cambridge but never did find a job that held my attention like the cavalry. I suppose it is the horses that draw my attention. My sisters constant tease me about it, Katherine claims I am too sweet for war and battle." Izabella smiled, her eyes never leaving his face as he spoke. The calmness that surrounded him was contagious, his voice could easily lull her to sleep, the way he twisted her hair between fingers was all too reminiscent of how Adam helped her when she was still young in the art of controlling the hunger. But this was not Adam, and it never would be him, this was James, her James. Silence grew between the two and although it was comfortable she began speaking words of her own childhood and adolescence.

"My father sent me away to the University of St. Andrews. He paid a high price but after my education was completed naught two years passed before both my mother and father died." She did not spin lies for him to hear, the words she spoke were truthful in every sense. It was simply in a different time. She was the only woman in attendance at the university, the others ridiculed her, and some sought to court her for the rumors surrounding how much her family was paying, detailing their vast wealth.

"Had your parents lived," he stopped, considering what words would be best to use, formulating. "What would you have done?" He was almost afraid to here that she would not be in England, that she would have left and that they would have never met, they would never be sitting in front of a warm fire, sitting next to each other. She pulled his hand away from her hair and held hers against his, marveling at how small she felt with him, with a small sigh she turned her head to the fire and began speaking, confirming all his fears. If he knew the truth though, he would no longer worry at all. She had already seen the world, and all it ever did was disappoint her.

"I would have traveled the world, focused on preserving nature and literature. Teaching people that life is about kindness, nurturing friendships, appreciating what the past and the present provide." James lifted a blanket and draped it over her frame, fearing that she may have been cold by the temperature of her skin, the way she curled herself further into him. Although she was far from cold the gesture made her heart warm.

"You are far wiser than age could every say, Belle." She hadn't meant to but she fell asleep with her head resting on his thigh, his hand running through her hair. The hunger rose when she was lifted into his arms, the light rest wearing off and for a moment she thought him to Adam until she could feel his warmth. He opened her door and laid her on the bed, the sheets unmade, he kissed her forehead but before he could leave to the guest room her hand wrapped around his wrist, the strength that she pulled him back with was startling.

"Stay?" The hold on grew slack until it fell away completely. He knelt beside her, searching her delicate features for a reason that he should not, an excuse to keep far away from her for the night. But he found none and decidedly slipped into the bed as well. Izabella rolled closer to him, remaining mindful of his hesitance but soon sleep came and consumed the two of them. At one point in the night Adam returned, a fresh supply of blood to sate them for the next week or so. He was not necessarily shocked to see the Captain in her bed, but quietly he moved about putting things away before disappearing once again, only to return in the morning.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; April 24, 1913_

Her head ached, it was a feeling she was growing to loathe, but Adam stood next to the bed already pouring a small amount of chilled blood into the stained glass. She looked at him with thanks before downing the liquid, the ache instantly fading. Paper crumpled beneath her palm before she realized James was gone, the sun already on the rise.

 _My darling Belle,_

 _I must apologize for leaving in this manner but I fear if I do not return home my sisters will send a search party out and that would be less than favorable for the both of us. I thank you for last night and can hardly wait until I may look upon your beautiful face once more._

 _Until then,_

 _James Nicholls_

The borrowed clothing sat folded on the settee at the foot of the bed, the sheets on the side he had slept on had been pulled up. Izabella sat with her back against the headboard, the thin white shift falling off her pale shoulder, her hair in disarray. Her vampirous guest sat on the bed, legs crossed, a dark glower on thin lips, circles beneath his eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Adam." She chided.

"Why didn't you drink last night? Belle, you must take care of yourself." The lady pursed her lips, looking for an answer that would pacify him, it was mainly because she had forgotten, her attention remained on the Captain, and even when he agreed to stay with her she had no desire for blood, for flesh, but for innocent physical contact, she found it when he allowed her head to rest on his shoulder for the night. But what today's date meant clouded her thoughts and happily she jumped from the bed.

"Tonight is the Officer's dinner! I have to pick up my gown by noon!" She cursed under her breath when the mantle clock read eleven already but hands curled around her biceps stilling her frantic motions, cool breath fanning over her neck in a way that made her hair stand on edge.

"I took care of it Belle." Adam turned her so that she could see the thistle colored gown that hung in front of the changing screen, she sighed in relief. The gown was a light violet, somewhere between lilac and lavender. The beading and sequins was intricately sewed and formed petals across the skirt, the netting and tulle caused the shape to flare out slightly at the waist. The wrapping of the bodice was not necessarily modest as it would show her shoulders and collarbones, the neckline lower than many of the designs for the current style but otherwise the design itself was flawless. "You and the Captain looked rather comfortable when I returned last night so I decided to run a few errands. More O negative, your gown." The smug grin on his pale lips made it obviously that he was pleased with his actions, but the lady rolled her eyes.

"Mmm, I must say you make a good little errand boy." Adam's smile faded as he glared at Belle, but after a moment each broke into a wide smile once more. "So should I wear my hair in an up do this evening?" Lazily she gathered her hair in a knot and lifted it away from her neck, mimicking a bun of sorts but the vampire vehemently shook his head, frayed black strands of hair moved with him.

"You know how dreadful I find hair that is not worn down." She agreed, and began pinning back loose curls, brushing her fingers through the soft strands to be rid any knots, and slowly she began to ready herself for the day. The maid had brought up tea earlier in the day, a scone as well and for the moment Adam lurked unseen in the shadows of her room until Tutti had gone again.

The hours passed by quicker than she thought possible and after fidgeting with her gown for the umpteenth time she was finally happy with what her reflection looked like. Red hair was left free and untamed, the curls flowing down her back, a light shade of rogue graced her cheeks and with darkened lashes she slipped on pair of heels. Her brooding guest was curled up on her bed, fast asleep and before she left for the evening Belle kissed his cheek a half smile forming on his lips and the soft scent of clove and rosin lingered in her senses.

James arrived at four o'clock, the rattling of a car engine was the first telltale sign of his imminent arrival, and impatiently she peeked out the windows, running from room to room; whichever would give the best view of her Captain. The knock on the door could not come soon enough, one of her staff opened the heavy oaken door, revealing Izabella with flushed cheeks and a small smile that instantly grew as the light of day seeped into the foyer.

Quickly he took his cap off, tucking it beneath his arm before reaching for her hand, though this time he did not bring it to his lips, he simply leaned down gently pressing his lips to hers. It was a quick kiss, chaste in nature but her heart fluttered in response. Izabella took in his appearance, the dark blue uniform was as his sisters had described, not navy but not quite royal blue either, the silver fixtures of the buttons caught in the sun, but they were not pure silver and for that she was thankful. A close fitting sash was draped across his left shoulder, the white collar was high and stiff, but his eyes sparkled in the evening sun.

Before she could comment though, the dashing officer held her an arm's length away urging her to spin, the skirt of her dress floating outwards. "You look beautiful." Golden eyes looked away as her cheeks reddened at his words, she half expected him to comment on the color, but thought nothing more of it when he kissed her forehead.

"You look dashing yourself, Captain Nicholls." She patted one of the breast pockets of his uniform but left her hand over the firm muscle beneath the clothing, an impish look in her eyes. He blushed at her teasing use of his title, the puckish things racing through his mind did not aid in the matters either. Clearing his throat, he offered Belle the crook of his arm and she placed her arm through his, smiling as they walked to the automobile, the door to her home shutting behind them.

"I hope you will not think less of me when I say that my favorite color is purple, dear Belle." He looked over at her soft features, red curls moving freely in the wind. She grinned, had her fangs been on show it would have looked positively feral, but now it was sweet.

"I would never. Purple is the color of royalty, it is striking, a bit ostentatious in some cases." She bit her tongue and glanced down at her own dress before sighing and looking over to James, "I do not understand why masculinity and femininity are assigned to colors." Izabella frowned for a moment, realizing how much she was beginning to sound like Adam. The rest of the way was filled with pleasant chatter, nothing too meaningful, small talk at best, the Hounslow Calvary Barracks and Institution came into clear sight as another hour passed, horses and cars alike were lined up on the drive. Uniforms and gowns melded together into the night, the windows of the main building glowed with candlelight and electricity.

The brick building was in the first stages of being overtaken by moss, nature's attempt to reclaim its own, but the somber appearance was thwarted by the music that filled the spring air. She took his arm and with her head held high walked with the young captain. Some paused to look at the couple, others offering quick glances but most paid them no mind.

"James!" The fountain provided a soft background amongst the gossip and at the declaration of his name he turned, and so did Belle. The officer appeared to be near the same age as James, his brown hair was dark and neatly cut from beneath the brim of his hat, a bright smile on his face, the small pins on his uniform signaling that he was a lieutenant.

"Charlie! It is good to see you!" From James he looked to Belle and took her free hand in a gloved hand, bringing it to lips as he dipped down, but quickly releasing her hand as well. Izabella nodded in recognition, her shoulders relaxing.

"And who might this English Rose be, Captain Nicholls?" James laughed softly, a tinge of color coming to his cheeks.

"This is Izabella Brighton," he smiled down at her and looked back to his friend, who appeared to be without a date, but chipper nonetheless, she smiled in return before the young officer seemed to remember something vital.

"Oh yes, I believe Jamie was looking for you a moment ago. I will catch up with you later James. It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Brighton." Major Stewart had indeed been looking for James, and only for a moment was she left on her own, the other ladies gave strange looks in regards to her attire but were friendly regardless. Though they all practically cooed with the Captain and Major returned.

"If you'll excuse me ladies, I think I'm going to steal Belle for myself now." She breathed a sigh of relief to be pulled away from the suffocating and ridiculously unintelligible conversations, and despite his offer to escort her to the dining table she simply held his hand, a subtle gesture that was surprisingly intimate. The food was served and there was silence as forks and knives clattered against cheap china plates that were undoubtedly mass produced. Belle looked to her side, startled when she felt the Captain's hand resting on her knee, the contact though separated by clothing sent an unfamiliar heat through her body. He only smiled and continued conversing.

Wine was refilled and the desert course presented and after that a small orchestra began to play tunes that carried couples and guests to the open floor in the next room. James took her hand and would not let her stray from him, not that she would ever think to do such a thing. She fit perfectly in his embrace, just coming to his chin in height and the soft curves of her waist and face countered the sharpness of his own features. The tune that the piano carried was one of her favorites, it was by Brahms, a piece that Adam had played for her multiple times but she knew it was not him at the piano.

"You look as if you're about to fall asleep, my dear." She smiled into his chest and before she could affirm that she was not sleepy he had pulled her into the night air. Despite her near inability to be affected by the cooler air it did not stop James from draping his coat across her shoulders. She held it close, inhaling the scent. He smelled of leather and brandy, maybe even honey and saddlewax.

"James?" She looked up from the rosebush that held her attention to the handsome Captain that gazed up at the stars. "Thank you, for this evening." Izabella pulled the jacket further around her, aware that her hunger was growing, and that soon she would need to return to her home or else risk doing something she would regret. His warm hand brushed against her cheek, pushing back untamed curls.

"May I kiss you?" She nodded and time seemed to slow, his touch was so soft, so entrancing that she almost could not bear that he was not hers already. Belle remained mindful that he was around superior officers and so instead of burying her hands into his blond hair she placed her hands at the base of his neck. James sighed into her mouth, she tasted of chocolate and wine, dark and forbidden. His hand tightened in her delicate curls the other curled around her waist.

"James," she breathed his name but was shocked when he kissed her neck, finding the two identical scars from where she had been turned, with shaking hands she pushed them through his hair, tugging lightly at the roots. "Oh James." Vaguely she noticed a few people looking in their directions, some laughing and shaking their heads, more than likely passing it off as young love. "People are looking, my darling Captain." He chuckled against her skin and gently pulled her hands from his hair, smoothing it back down to look somewhat styled.

"One more dance?" She nodded and took his hand, leading him back into the remaining people that occupied the empty floor space, only wishing that the night could last forever.


	7. 6

_The Brighton Estate, London; May 4, 1913_.

"Clara Schumann is obviously superior to Schubert." Adam scoffed at the mentioned composers, both of which he had known personally, including Clara's husband, he had to agree with her, only for the pieces for piano though. The vampiric man flashed his fangs, but she rolled her eyes and laid down next to him. "When are you going to start composing again? You know I absolutely love your works." Lackadaisically he covered her face with his hand, rolling his eyes. She was almost tempted to lick his palm like a child but thought against it, instead she pushed it away and sat up, crossing her legs so that their knees touched.

"When the time is right. I can only imagine that becoming famous would be the absolute worst thing to happen." Izabella loved Adam to death, his infatuation with science and music, the way he criticized other cultures, and heaven forbid she ever hinted that he could become renowned. He claimed that's how it all started, the sickness, the pollution and contamination of their own damned blood.

"Worse than being confined to the night and drinking blood like some pesky little bat?" Adam and Izabella had been bickering nearly all day, about anything and everything, most was harmless of course and in good nature but as the sun set and the flasks of blood were emptied the brooding man laughed, remembering when the three of them had went over for the American Revolution and then the Civil War.

"American or British?" Belle raised her eyebrow and looked to her side, tapping her chin in contemplation about the ridiculous question.

"British." She pulled her lips into a grim smile, revealing her bloodstained teeth and tongue. "Though I must admit, I quite enjoyed the American's Civil War. Soldiers of the Union were delicious, more so than the Confederates, they left a bitter taste." The vampiress scrunched her nose at the memory. Wars were devastating, on many levels and she did hate that they occurred, or that in some cases were necessary as the leaders say, but wars became a smorgasbord. During the chaotic times she could drink freely and not worry about her oath with Lucifer as the men were already half dead, though after her deadly kiss they found peace much sooner. The thoughts almost sobered her from the euphoric high.

"I agree my dear Belle. The Americans are finding more and more ways to pollute their own blood, it's disgusting really. So many of them are self-obsessed with material items that will not last, filled with delusions of optimism. Sickening and barbaric." The vampire sighed and sat up, pinching his nose at the realization that as time passed finding pure blood would only become harder, they would be more likely to die of blood poisoning than a wooden stake to the chest. They had started with something pure, something that was exciting and exhilarating, but time was diminishing everything. The sand in the hourglass was nearly all at the bottom. "Eve is visiting soon." A wry smile tugged at the corner of his thin lips. Izabella laid her head on his back, her delicate fingers tracing his spine.

"Then we will have to celebrate. Dinner of course, I presume dear Evie is still on her meatless streak?" Izabella giggled drunkenly at the thought of not eating meat, they were vampires and yet the ancient being hated to feast upon an animal, it was almost ironic. "I'll invite James over as well." Adam huffed at the mention. Haphazardly she tipped the remaining contents of the outdated flask back into her mouth, collapsing back onto the bed, the boards creaking at the action.

"I suggest you rest dear one, your precious Captain will be here tomorrow." He leaned over, setting their small glasses and flask aside before kissing her cheek, already entering the realm unconsciousness but regardless she turned, finding his cool skin and twining her legs with his. It was true, on the morrow James would come, he had been away for a week's time with the Calvary, training new members and working diligently in hopes of a promotion. She could almost feel her forehead burning from where his lips had last touched her skin.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; May 5, 1913_.

"Come on my Morgenmuffel, rise and shine." Izabella pulled Adam's arm, nearly dragging him to the edge of the bed. She heard incoherent grumbles and curses and laughed to herself, pulling off the sheets and blankets as well. He only grumbled more, reaching into the air until his hand fisted in the front her sleeping gown tugging her back to bed but the sun had already risen and the day had begun. Instead of allowing Adam the satisfaction of getting her back into the bed at such an hour she gracefully slipped out of the night shift and retreated behind the Victorian style dressing screen.

When hasty footsteps scampered up the stairs she shrouded Adam with invisibility as he was in no such hurry to move or disappear, her maid was breathless as the bedroom door was tossed open, a rarity as she always knocked before entering. Peeping out from the screen she looked at the distressed woman, raising her eyebrow. "It is Gail, Miss. She has begun birthing her foal." In a frantic rush Izabella pulled on a worn pair of jodhpurs and rushed down the stairs barely giving her enough time to pull the loose tunic over her head of curls before she burst out the door into the sunlight, feet bare against the dirt and grass.

"How is she doing, Ellis?" The young stable boy looked at the lady of the house before peering back into the stall as Izabella slipped her working boots on, quietly pottering over to stand by his side.

"She won't let anyone get near her, but we need to bandage her tail so that the foal won't get tangled up." The boy held out a cloth wrap, Izabella took it within her hand and slipped into the stall, clearly showing the mare that she meant no harm, when she took a step forward the horse neighed softly, approving of her presence. She knelt down in front of Gail, looking the animal in the eyes with compassion which she tried to project to the beast, in her years she had learned that if she tried hard enough nearly any animal would listen to her, even a wolf.

"How are you doing old girl?" The horse nudged her arm, seemingly asking what she concealed within her hand. Belle held out the cloth and curiously Gail sniffed at it. "I need to tie up your tail, old girl. That way your baby won't get all tangled in it." Ellis looked at the woman in amazement as she carried on a conversion with the horse, if she asked a question there was a soft neigh in response, or a twitch of its head. Belle braided the black tail quickly, wrapping it up with the cloth and tying it back and out of the way. Cautiously she stood and returned to the outside of the stall, leaning over with Ellis at her side.

"I still don't get how they all listen so well to you, Miss." Laughing softly she placed her hand on the boy's shoulder, they both remained silent, waiting for the moment when the foal would come. Gail had a history of births that were presented abnormally but with Belle's knowledge she helped reposition each foal and they grew up healthy, and the old mare had always recovered. She turned across the aisle and presented a sugar cube to Glaurung, the steed stamped his hoof happily and returned to munching on the straw. Izabella busied herself in the stables, leaving Ellis in charge of watching over Gail. She did not know the time, nor the exact time James would arrive but as she almost let her musings carry her away the stable hand called her over and instantly she was alert and attentive, noting that the water sac had already burst by the damp bedding.

Stepping back into the stall she watched, as the mare tried to push the foal out. She sent Ellis to retrieve a pail of water should she have to aid in repositioning the foal as was common in the past. The contractions were occurring more frequently, five minutes passed, and then ten when at last a small hoof had begun to appear, but the horse's pushes were accomplishing nothing and a critical time period was drawing closer. Kneeling she gripped the small legs that had emerged and with each contraction she pulled. "Come on Gail, you can do it old girl but you have to push." And the mare did, and slowly the head was revealed and time caught up, with three easier pushes and pulls Belle landed on her back, a foal still covered with its birth sac laying atop her but the sac was not breaking on its own, and that was not a good sign.

Rolling the foal off her, she was quick to break the sac away from its head, the mother standing over Izabella's shoulder. Methodically she cleared the mucus away from its nostril, hoping to see it begin to breathe, but it did not respond nor did it begin to breathe when she slapped its ribcage. The mare above her neighed softly, nudging the unmoving foal with her hoof. With one last attempt to save the newborn she cupped her hands over its mouth and plugged a single nostril breathing into the other, she repeated the process several times but the results were fruitless. It had been a stillborn.

Izabella stood and stepped away, her lip trembling and eyes beginning to water as the mare kept nudging the foal, sniffing it and neighing softly. Her heart ached at the loss, and Ellis stood with wide eyes not quite believing what had just occurred. Gail rested back on her knees, constantly nudging the foal which should have been alive and breathing, everything had went so well the only thing that could account for the occurrence was her age. After another ten minutes she cleaned away the afterbirth and left Ellis to dispose of the soiled straw and deceased foal as she led the mare into the pasture.

Vaguely she noted the sound of an engine rattling in the distance but she didn't move from her position in the pasture with Gail, but her heart raced at seeing her Captain again after a week. As if sensing her owner's jubilance the mare nudged her in the direction of her house. Patting the horse's neck she headed back and met the dashing officer by the white fence.

"I apologize for my appearance, being covered with afterbirth I fear is not becoming." She looked down at her stained white tunic and breeches, her feet bare again. His smile was brilliant and warm, as it usually was and instead of embracing her, he took her hands and smiled, pressing a lingering kiss to her sweaty forehead.

"Is all well?" He looked over her shoulder at the mare who he remembered from the first time they had met was pregnant, but when she swallowed and looked away James could not stand the sight of tears in her eyes.

"Everything went properly, but the foal was stillborn, I tried everything but..." She trailed off not finishing her sentence for fear of the tears she would shed. "Please, I need to get cleaned up before we leave to visit your sisters." The Captain kissed her cold cheek and began to lead her back to the baroque styled house. The two lingered outside the door until he spoke up, soft blue eyes glistening in the early spring sun.

"We do not have to. Should you wish to remain here I would gladly oblige to such wishes." She smiled and laced her fingers through his, squeezing tightly. Izabella pulled the young officer into the foyer as Tutti opened the door expectantly, frowning at the untidy and rather appalling appearance of her lady.

"What say you to visiting your sisters and then returning here for dinner?" The simple question was answered when he smiled and kissed her cheek. "I promise I won't be long, but do make yourself at home." Quickly, she took to the bathroom, shedding the soiled clothing and running a bath but she cursed her haste as she had not a single towel or robe available. Like a child sneaking about at night she peered out from a small crack in the door, her room was just down the hall but of course she would have to pass the open area of banister and staircase before retreating her own bedroom. Sighing she reached back to retrieve the stained tunic, slipping it overhead to retain some kind of decency. Her graceful steps were near silent, her movements quick and almost feline in nature, but a creaking floorboard drew James's attention upward as he walked to the sitting room.

His cheeks burned at the sight of the exposed skin of her legs, he half wondered if she had noticed his wayward glance but the gentleman he was would not allow himself to covet such thoughts. She had seen the glance of blue eyes in her direction but within a second she was already gone, stumbling into her own room. Ignoring the soft snoring of Adam she gathered a simple ensemble that no doubt belonged in the past but for a day such as this it would serve its purpose well and lastly she fetched a towel and rag from the linen closet before stealing away back into the washroom and sinking into the steaming water that awaited.

The antique mirror that was propped against one of the walls in the room had not been enchanted as her others were, so when she peered into it there was nothing, there was emptiness. The vampiress waved her hand making her reflection appear as she tied the front strings of the kirtle, tightening the bodice and smoothing down the skirt and sleeves of her undershirt. The simplistic design, strangely enough, made her feel normal. Brushing her fingers through soaked hair she pulled it to one side and plaited it before rejoining her Captain.

"When we return I'll have to show you my garden, the first moon flowers are beginning to bloom." He smiled at the fiery woman who sat in the passenger seat of the car, he loved that she did not scorn him for the more feminine things that his sisters consistently teased him for, his love of drawing, for flowers, and the unabashed favoritism of the color purple.

"If I had a my sketch book right now I would draw you Izabella, just so you can see yourself the way I do." Her bashful smile was barely noticeable, but her cheeks took on a light rush of color. Vibrant hair was let free, moving against the backdrop of greens and browns in a way that made her seem ethereal and unnatural.

"I think the fairies have you James." She teased when they grew silent, his eyes distant in thought but at her comment he smiled and looked at her as the bustling streets of London came into view and then passed back into countryside. The Victorian manor was not nearly as imposing as it had been the first time she laid eyes upon it and at the sound of the engine the younger of his sisters rushed outside, greeting the both of them with large hugs.

"Katherine sends her apologies as she received a letter from Charles and had to return to Essex; come now let's chat over lunch. I think Sarah was making a cottage pie." Olivia took Izabella's hand pulling her towards the house shooing James away to tell their father that lunch was to be served. She looked back over her shoulder at the Captain, he was chuckling at his sister's excitement as he walked to the stables.

"What on this good Earth are you wearing Izzie?" She opened her mouth to object at the girl's question and the absurd derivation of her name but she circled her and clapped her hands together excitedly. "It looks absolutely posh! Not to mention practical as well." Thinking it best to not say much on the subject she simply smiled and allowed Olivia to lead her to the dining room. "Also, you must show me the dress you wore to the officer's dinner, James would not shut up about it you know." The red head smiled and shook her head, laughing softly at the tone of exasperation his sister used.

James and his father entered the house and drew near the dining room, his father looked at him curiously when they heard laughter, soft and feminine. The Captain's heart jumped as he singled out Belle's, it was sweet and hypnotic, much like her. The two men stood in the archway, Belle looked in their direction and so did Olivia, a bright smile on James's face. "Father, I would like to introduce you to Izabella Brighton." The lady in question stood expecting a handshake or something of the likes but what she received was a warm hug that reminded her too much of her own father's.

James and Olivia chuckled to themselves and instantly the Captain was at her side. "Belle, this is my father, George Nicholls." She smiled at the man, he was wider than James, his hair darker and eyes green instead of blue, but she guessed in his youth that James was the spitting image of him. She and the Captain sat at one side of the table while Olivia and George occupied the other.

"We have heard much about you Miss Brighton, it seems you have enchanted my dear son." Her eyes strayed from the goblet of water quickly to Mr. Nicholls and over at James, his eyes had lowered, a shade of red graced his cheeks but the small smile he had only served to destroy her a little more. The rest of the event was filled with pleasantries, thankfully Izabella was not the focus of conversation topics, but she could easily see that she was growing too fond of his family in her predicament.

James, along with his sister and Izabella walked to the stables. "Will you be keeping him all to yourself again tonight?" Olivia snickered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively causing each to blush, James shook his head and readied the grey steed they had ridden before.

Izabella laughed and looked over her shoulder at the Captain as he tucked his sketch book away in one of the saddle's pouches. "Only if he chooses to do so. I promise, I will not hold him against his will." The girl held her hand over her nude lips, giggling quietly at the thought that danced through her mind. James brought out the steed, she heard him whispering sweetly to the horse and with final goodbyes to his sister he lifted Belle onto the saddle and mounted behind her, one hand securely on her soft waist the other gripping the reins tightly.

"Be good the two of you," Olivia waved them off, grinning like a small girl. Izabella smiled, leaning her head back on his shoulder, completely brazen in the way she let her elongated canines shine in the evening sun. With a short look he paid little attention to her euphoric expression, only grinning at how relaxed she was in his arms as the beating hooves of the horse remained steady.

"Will you stay the night?" Her voice was carried on the air like a feather on a wayward breeze, the smooth and articulated words obviously belonged to an educated woman. Completely unabashed he wrapped his arm around her tighter, just under her bosom, the surprisingly warm clothed flesh brushed against his forearm. Avoiding the city streets that bustled at this time James led the horse along the outskirts, veering off the beaten trail, the thrill of truly being in the wilderness shot through his body, and the lady before him seemed not to mind at all.

"If my lady should wish it." She sighed and turned her head into his neck, a dangerous temptation, she could smell his blood, sweet and pure, and she could see it rushing in his veins. Squeezing her eyes shut she forced herself to look at the path in front of her. The steed trotted along but its pace grew to a near stop at a lone shape that was lying in the dirt road. Pulling the reins back they stopped and looked down at the young doe who laid completely still, the slashes on its flanks and upon its neck made Belle's heart race. "That's odd, the deer around here are rarely in the road at this time." James commented, quizzical interest in his voice.

"Those markings, the characteristics off them, position and depth; they look to be a wolf's," Izabella could not stop the hint of panic that flooded her voice, yes, with enough effort she could coax a wolf from attacking but that did not make the creatures any less dangerous. "I have not seen a wolf in these parts since I was a child." Feeling her body tense against him James urged the horse back into a steady trot, attempting to not bring attention to any feral creatures that could lurk in the tree line with a frantic gallop.

They arrived to her manner and personally secured his steed along with her own horses in the stables, making sure that both barn doors were shut and locked for the night before taking to her home. Still the chill had not left her blood and her muscles had not released the tension. "Frightful creatures aren't they?" James murmured as they walked to the sitting room, she could only nod.

"I have more cause to fear them than most." He raised his eyebrow curiously at her statement, and sat next to her on the chaise longue, taking her hand within his. "My younger brother, Ulric, he went out into the woods one day without supervision. My father had been busy, my mother entertaining distant relatives, when it was time to be called for dinner she sent me to find him. The markings on his body on the neck and flanks, the priest and physician ruled it to be a wolf attack. Not even a year later my parents died because of smallpox. But enough with that, let's go see if Kaylein has anything cooked up for us." Despite the somber turn the evening had taken at first their small dinner of curry roasted chicken and potatoes was filled with laughter and smiles too numerous to count. Lastly the mead she had been fermenting for nearly the entire winter was christened, the floral and fruit notes highlighted by the rich taste of honey, it was stronger than wine of course, and soon she found herself asleep in the sitting room.

James laughed quietly and lifted her into his arms, drunkenly ascending the stairs, successfully bringing the two of them to her room without any damage, well, a stumped toe but nothing serious. The vampiress stirred as he set her down and with thoughts that were far from clear she pulled the Captain atop her kissing him soundly, the action clearly shocking him even in their inebriated state. "Belle, darling." He stilled her hands from pulling at his loose tunic, a pout forming on blood red lips.

"Darling, when we come to this point I want it to be special and quite frankly in this state I don't think I'd be of much use pleasuring you." She rolled her eyes, accepting his valid point but still she kissed him and with unsteady balance she retreated behind the privacy screen, peeling off the kirtle and shift and slipping on a much thinner chemise that reached her knees. Izabella laid back pulling the covers down, obviously requesting the Captain share her bed once more, already out of his outer clothing he indulged her wish.

"You never did show me your sketch book," she mumbled, eyes drooping shut. He shook his head, a sense of laughter remaining in his blue eyes, reflected in the lamp that burned bedside.

"Tomorrow my darling, we always have tomorrow." As a sudden last thought she jumped from the bed, assuring him that everything was well but she had to take care of something quickly. The Captain nodded and watched as she left the room, he looked at the bedside table on which the lamp sat, the crumpled note he realized to be his own sat there atop a book, and a frame with a couple on their wedding day, he assumed them to be her parents in his stupor. But as well as the other belongings a small glass was there also, smaller than what would be considered a standard shot, but it was stained a dull red, almost brown.

Had he been sober perhaps he could piece together what his darling Belle truly was but in the moment he didn't care, and come morning he wouldn't remember. Sated for the night she returned to her room, slipping beside the Captain who was already deep in slumber, turning down the lamp until the small flame extinguished she curled into his side, her cold hand resting over his warm beating heart.


	8. 7

_The Brighton Estate, London; May 6, 1913_.

The arm that was draped across Izabella's waist was warm and heavy compared to the arms that were usually around her when she woke. Despite her groggy state she rolled further into the person at her side, pressing her nose and lips into a warm neck. "Belle?" She smiled at the sound of her name in the sleep ridden voice but panic set when she felt a slick substance on her lips and his neck. Pulling away from the embrace she looked down at his neck, blood smeared around a small area. With a shaking hand she touched her own lips, finding that when she pulled her hand away her fingers were coated with the crimson fluid. Groggily the Captain sat up, his hand cupping her cheek, thumb running across her bottom lip.

"Your lips are cracked, darling." Relief flooded into her veins as she finally realized that there was indeed a split in her bottom lip. Her breathing slowed and unknowingly she darted her tongue out to wipe the excess elixir away. James watched transfixed but she took his hand, pulling him towards the edge of the bed and to his feet and out of his trance. He let her drag him to the bathroom and kept silent as she brought a damp rag to his neck, wiping away the blood that she thought to be his. The Captain watched curiously as she moved about, her hands as always were cold, her lips swollen and eyes clear; but he flashed his eyes away. Looking into the large mirror where his reflection was visible but the woman before him appeared to be nothing, thinking that it was simply the early morning playing tricks on him he looked back down as she sat the rag aside, she was very solid and very real. He remained quiet and studious of her actions as they walked back to her own bedroom.

"Walk in the gardens with me?" The Captain pulled on his trousers and redid the strings of his tunic while Izabella pulled on her dressing gown, tying it off at her waist. Arm and arm they walked, the roses had already been in bloom since the first week in April but in the morning their petals had droplets of dew and seemed to glisten. The flowering bushes and shrubs were neatly groomed and in line. At each corner of the garden was a large oak tree, providing shade for the more delicate blooms but the center piece was the Middlemist red tree, her prized tree with the rare flowers. Four large flowers were spaced about the branches and leaves. James looked appreciatively at them, brushing his fingers over some of the petals.

Releasing her arm he looked up at one of the red flowers on the tree that was in reach. "May I?" She nodded and he pinched off the flower and a portion of the stem, admiring it for a moment in detail before reaching over and tucking it behind her ear. His smile was shy, why she had no clue, but regardless she led him over to the large oak tree farthest away from her house and gestured to sit. With their backs pressed against the bark Izabella rested her head on his shoulder as he pulled out his sketch book. The leather bound book was worn, the cover bent and creased and the small pouch on the back nearly falling off but within was the tools of his trade, pieces of graphite, charcoal and pencils that had been sharpened to a stump.

The paper was heavily textured, she could tell from the book's edging and before he opened the small book she noted the initials that had been carved into the cover, the personalization made her smile, nuzzling further into the Captains shoulder. Attentively she watched as the pages passed by in search for a blank canvas, the majority of the passing pictures were of nature, flowers and animals. At one particular page Izabella placed her hand on the textured paper, keeping the small book open.

The smudged lines and sharp edges depicted two hands, one decidedly larger, more masculine than the smaller, the details were extraordinary. From the depiction of callouses to the smooth lines of a woman's hands. Silently she admired the drawing knowing that hands were one of the most difficult thing to draw yet he had captured a tender moment perfectly. "James, this is amazing." Her fingers ghosted delicately across the surface, careful not to smudge the shading even further. The Captain took in a deep breath, his cheek brushing against hers as he turned his head.

"I sketched that when my father was holding my mother's hand whilst she was on her death bed; I..." Not caring to soil their day with sad tales she shushed him gently and with a sympathetic smile the Captain understood and continued flipping through the pages, coming to a stop at a blank one as they were nearly all filled with his numerous sketches. "May I draw you Belle?" His fingers ghosted across her cheek, finding the contours below her cheekbone and the pert of her chin. The vampiress looked away, a blush forming on her cold skin. How is possible to be dead but feel so alive around this man, her mind demanded an answer but her heart simply leapt.

"I'm hardly worth drawing James; but if you wish to do so, I will not object." Almost hesitantly he took her hand within his, bringing her palm to his lips, only serving to light the fire within her. She rested with her back against the tree, the flower still pushed behind her ear along with strands of fiery red hair. She looked serene and at peace and steadily James began working through the outline of her face and hair, the soft curve of her parted lips and the rounded tip of her nose. Izabella looked to the side, not moving her head but simply watching the Captain as he worked, brows furrowed in concentration as he sought to capture her perfection.

The lady's heart ached, she had been in love once before, only once, or at least she thought it to be love. It was in her earlier years, but of course the love did not last. He was of nobility and although she was a woman of wealth the people of the time shunned her for the lifestyle she led. For the way she was independent of men and it was quite known that she was. So when the paper was printed that her courter had been engaged to another she let her heart turn cold and black until Adam reappeared decades later. It was then she was assured that her previous infatuation was just that and nothing more. She half hated herself for loving the brooding man as he was so opposite to her, their relationship was strange to say the least. The love between them was that of a brother and sister, they bickered constantly and rarely were the definition of well-behaved adults if there was no one around. But there was the physical attraction, the lust and desire that was convenient to sate when they were near. Izabella, however, would never come between Adam and Eve. And then this dashing Calvary officer came along and swept her away, her intentions not even clear to herself.

"You are thinking to hard my darling, Belle. But I have been told by my sisters that I have a good ear for listening." She laughed softly but remained still as he continued flicking his wrist in strokes, leaving lines of dark residue on the page. Silence settled between them once again.

"When is your birthday?" She mused, beginning to speak her thoughts and questions aloud.

"September third." His response was quiet but she smiled and suddenly he thought his portrait would never truly capture her beauty. She half expected him to be a September or March child from her study of astronomy and the horoscopes.

"It's fitting, most associate September with kindness and sympathy, understanding. You're clever and you pay attention to details and I happen to lo-." She cut herself off before she finished, and returned to her own thoughts, dark and deep, desperately wishing that this would not turn into an ill-fated love. From the features of her face he moved to begin sketching the flower that adroitly rested behind her ear.

"And yours?" James glanced up from the paper to Izabella, she had returned to her previous state of thought and calmness. Quickly lolling her head over to the side she bit her bottom lip before stating the day she was born.

"November thirteenth." 1690, she added in her mind, but her small smile would never dispel the confusion she was beginning to feel in her heart. For a moment he sat his sketch book aside, out of Izabella's sight before leaning closer to her, his hand wandering from her own to her neck.

"It was November-the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. She roamed through the pineland alleys in the park and, as she said, let that great sweeping wind blow the fogs out of her soul." She rolled her eyes at the quote and pressed her own hand against his, not quite realizing that she would be left with charcoal smudges everywhere his fingers lingered.

"You do remember that quote is from a children's book do you not?" The Captain shook his head playfully, blue eyes flashing from her golden ones to the full red lips that were curved up in a smile. Recovering his book, Izabella returned to her original position. The sun had reached its peak and began it's decent, it must have been two when the Captain finished. His fingers were stained with a slivery sheen of graphite and charcoal and with much care she held the book in her hands, looking at her sketched likeness, from the wild curls and wisps of hair that had become frizz to the top of her dressing gown and clavicles it was without a doubt her. "Your talent is exceptional."

He had taken the book back, fastening the ties and securing the tools of the trade back in their pouch. She took his hand, curling her fingers around his hand. "Kiss me?" He responded with the action she had requested, but as he pulled her closer the precarious balance they had faltered. She landed atop his chest, hands pressed against the flat planes of his chest. It was Izabella that kissed him from this new position and he yielded to her completely, not even fazed when a pointed tooth drug over his lip, but she cursed herself.

"Miss!" She frowned when the maid called her name, but the devious thought that brewed in her mind led her to remain atop James.

"If we stay like this she won't see us." The Captain let out a soft huff of laughter but obliged to her wishes. The two remained silent, only exchanging short kisses until Izabella could see an approaching figure and at last she sighed and rolled beside James as her maid stood above them, hands resting on wide hips.

"You have house guests, Miss. Distant relatives they claim to be." Without asking she knew who it would be and practically dragging the poor Captain back to the interior of the house but at her excitement his own grew. In the parlor sat her brooding vampire and Eve. Her posture was straight, the curtains had been pulled shut cloaking the room in shadows. As always Eve's birdlike features were sharp and regal, her blonde hair more frayed than the last time they had met but the air of wisdom surrounded the pale vampiress.

"Eve!"

The woman stood and instantly drew Belle to her. "Oh Izabella; how are you my darling? It has been too long." She stole a glance at Adam over Eve's shoulder as they embraced. He only rolled his eyes at the woman, in moments like this he wished he would have just drained her dry, if only to save himself from her mannerisms and the ridiculous way she and his wife got along, it drove him close to insanity.

"I am well and yes, it has been far too long but I would like to introduce you to James." She blindly reached back and he took her hand, standing beside her as the woman smiled as warmly as she possibly could. Adam stood as well, his entire presence being one of dread and morbidity.

"James, I would like to introduce you to Eve and Adam, they are distant relatives of my mother but have been very involved in my life." Izabella narrowed her eyes at Adam as she could see some witty remark forming on his tongue, instead he simply extended his hand for the man to shake.

"A pleasure to meet the both of you, but I should probably return home for the time being." She looked up to see James's polite smile his arm moving to rest around her waist, Belle curled into his chest, her golden eyes looking up at him in a way that made his heart leap. Had he looked into those eyes too much longer he would have undoubtedly catered to her every wish and whim.

"Nonsense, you must stay for dinner." The Captain could only smile back at her expression but as he pushed her hair back and resituated the flower that remained in her hair he sighed.

"I'm afraid I told my father I would aid him in repairing the pasture fence." She leaned forward and caught at his hand, pressing it between her own. The touch was like white fire through his veins. James had wondered once why love was always phrased in terms of burning. The conflagration in his own veins, now, gave the answer.

"Then let me walk you out." Adam and Eve both nodded shooing her and her Captain from the room. Ellis had tended to the Captain's steed well, but at the sight of a familiar face he neighed, shaking his mane and stamping a shoed hoof. "When will I see you again?" She kissed his cheek, and the juncture where his jaw and neck met, he sighed hands fisting in the skirts of her dressing gown, eyes fluttered close, neck exposed to her sweet ministrations.

"You must be an angel, woman." She laughed, enjoying the sensuous torment she could provide, but he buckled the saddle in place and placed his sketch book in the saddle pocket.

"Aye, but so was Lucifer." The Captain laughed and pulled the lady to him, pressing his lips against hers before mounting the steed and pulling the reins into his hands.

"On the weekend I promise to return to you my darling Belle." She smiled and waved as he rode down the drive. Sighing she returned to the room in which Adam and Eve were in, her eyes downcast but a blush and smile remained on her lips.

"I have not seen love so plainly before my eyes in a very long time." Eve's crisp voice and her words caused Izabella to be taken aback, the shock was clearly on her face. Adam laughed aloud earning a glare from his wife. "Izabella, darling, you would not notice love if it knocked on your front door with a label, but I can see it, clearly." So began the stories of how she met the Captain, the eldest of the three vampires smiled, the way Belle spoke was like that of a woman in love. There was no other way to describe how fondly she spoke of the man, the smile that remained on her face and the light that shone in her dead eyes.

"Do you plan to turn him?" Eve asked after silence had settled between them, her head rested in Adam's lap. She glanced up at her husband and back to the girl, it was a tough life to live without having the one person you truly loved. A small smile was on her thin lips as she recalled telling Izabella of how she and Adam met, when exactly she chose to turn him, though she spoke little of the time they were separated for decades. It was necessary to maintain a healthy relationship. Almost ashamed of her past actions Belle looked back to the frame of the door.

"I can't, my deal to be able to go in the sunlight is that I can never turn a victim, only kill them and I have no intentions of killing James." Perhaps she did already love the Captain and was too scared to act on such an emotion, fearing his rejection and disapproval in regards to what she was. Her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest as she said the words. Eve reached over her frail hand resting atop Izabella's and subsequently Adam stood from the gothic fauteuil his arms lazily encasing the small woman.

"If I were to ask him and should he choose to become like us, would one of you aid me in his transformation?" Izabella knew that it was a risk, but she also knew that Eve had a weakness for young couples in love and while she was not necessarily young the budding love between her and the Captain was. Silence encompassed the room, Adam drew back, and with action she knew he would not be fond of turning her darling Captain. Eve on the other hand smiled, revealing one of her perfectly sharpened canines, and while she did not give a direct answer she knew that hope had not been lost.

The evening was chaotic at best, a meal was served and picked over as soon afterwards Adam and Eve occupied the guest chamber on the west wing of the house. Izabella sat with her book in hand, the lamp at her bedside was beginning to flicker with a coming spring storm and in the distance she heard a deep howl, crisp against the wind. Closing the book she sat it aside and looked at the glass and note that remained bedside, along with the picture of Adam and Eve.

They had lived and loved across centuries and their relationship was realistically poised between the intensity of ardent lovers and the mundaneness of a long-married couple, something that Izabella only dreamed of having. Turning off the lamp, she raised her hand and a candle on the corner table flickered with life, but she only felt as if it were mocking her and out of frustration she extended her shaking hand and destroyed the flame. Those candle flames were like the lives of men. So fragile. So deadly. Left alone, they lit and warmed. Let run rampant, they would destroy the very things they were meant to illuminate. Embryonic bonfires, each bearing a seed of destruction so potent it could tumble cities and dash kings to their knees and destroy the hearts of all, even the dead. For the first night in over two centuries Izabella wept.


	9. 8

_The Brighton Estate, London; June 1, 1913_.

James was late. He was never late and perhaps that should have been the first sign that something was wrong. The Captain was always punctual as his profession would require but on this particular evening he was late, it made the lady of the house worry and she paced. He and Izabella had not seen each other for two weeks, his training took him away with Major Stewart, and while he could give an approximation for when these events would end they were never for certain. She paced her sitting room, replaying their last meeting and how wonderful everything had been. For once she felt like her life was perfection, like everything was exactly how it was supposed to be and she felt surprisingly normal around him and his family. It was such a welcoming feeling, but she knew better than grow accustomed to that type of life.

Her thoughts strayed to Adam, her vampiric guest had been staying less and less since he and Eve had a week reunion. She was incredibly happy for the long time lovers as new life had been breathed into their relationship, and when he did come around often he sought refuge in one of the numerous guest rooms. His intentional avoidance of her struck a nerve but she would never dispel her emotions and thoughts to him. She could steadily tell that he was becoming bitterer to the outside world, more skeptical of the blood they divulged in to satiate their hunger, she was concerned for him but he would never stand for it, nor would Adam want pity. Izabella almost did not hear the steady fall of hooves on her drive for her thoughts, they were only shaken away when the horse had stopped but there was not a knock on the door within the following minutes.

The oncoming summer air was humid with looming storms and the night was warm, Izabella almost screamed when she burst from her front door. Slashes and bites marred the flank of his old steed, a fierce reminder that within the woods lurked a beast. If anything was keeping the horse standing right now it was adrenaline and nothing else. Her Captain was slumped forward in the saddle, his hand clutching his ribs. The scent of his blood filled her senses, beckoning her to taste it. Just one taste. Shouting for her house workers they scuttled about, retrieving medical supplies, readying a bed and lastly calling upon a veterinarian to tend to his beloved horse.

Carefully, she pulled the Captain from the saddle, draping his arm across her shoulders, if not for her enhanced strength and endurance it would have taken two to move his weight. Her canines had extended, her mind clouded with bloodlust but before tending to James she quickly stole upstairs to her ice box, nearly downing an entire flask to prevent her from feeding from the injured man. "Belle." She smiled at his voice, gently cooing sweet words to displace the pain. When he opened drowsy eyes her smile was there, wide and bright, so unbearably close to him and on full display were two elongated teeth that looked as if they belonged to a beast and not a woman. He told himself he should be shocked, but in his pain ridden mind he played it off as an illusion, something his mind had conjured to play tricks with his eyes.

Cutting the thin shirt open she pulled it back, revealing the expanse of his torso and the wound that had nearly sent her into a frenzy. "James?" He studied her movements, the way she reverently touched his bare skin, scanning over the wound. Taking a rag in hand Izabella dipped it into a bowl of tepid water before wiping away blood. He winced as she continued to clean the skin, lastly dappling alcohol across the cut that resembled a long scratch, though it was too deep to be considered such and not deep enough to require stitches. With her maid's help the two women were able to properly dress the wounded skin, the thick white gauze a stark contrast against his ruddy appearance.

Wincing just a bit James sat up on the empty lounge, bracing his weight on his arms; he looked to Izabella with a faint smile that was nearly hidden from everything that he had been through in the past few hours, "How's Bill?" Her hands that rested on his shoulders fell away as she stood straighter and moved around the room for a few thoughtful seconds.

Belle grimaced at the mention of the horse but sat next to her Captain. "I called my veterinarian, with any luck all he'll need is a few stitches and to not be ridden for a while." This time she was more refined when she looked at him with a smile gracing her lips. Her maid remained in the room, watching attentively in case more supplies were needed or a doctor need be called but helping the man to his feet Izabella led him up the stairs and to her own room.

They sat on the edge of the bed for a long while in silence before she pushed him back against the mattress and left her room momentarily. "Tutti, will you bring supper to my room for the night? The Captain needs to rest." Izabella's grip on the banister was nearly white knuckled. Lowering her head, the maid complied and went on her way, gathering the meal that had been prepared. The vampiress pulled the pins from her hair as she walked back into her room, setting the pieces on the mirror-less vanity.

"My sweet James, whatever am I going to do with you?" She tittered under her breath as she stripped away the heavier pieces of her attire. With rapt attention the Captain watched her, only looking away when he feared she would soon take the chemise off as well. He could make out her shapely figure, the soft curve of her breasts and waist. But she was left in a thin shift as she sat next to him, the mattress dipping beneath her added weight. James extended his hand to push away the stray curls that were beginning to fall into her face, his fingertips brushing over the smooth skin.

"I certainly hope that you will keep me." His laugh was contagious, and even a bit banged up from the evening's events he still managed to see the good in everything. Izabella truly loved how the corners of his eyes would wrinkle whenever he laughed, the way his tongue threatened to poke out from between his teeth, she was envious of his life, if only the slightest. Her hand was cold and soft against his cheek as she kissed him softly.

"I intend to," his faint smile was clearly felt against her lips, but the couple quickly broke apart when her door opened, revealing Tutti with a tray of food and a vibrant shade of red rushing to round cheeks.

"Apologies for interrupting, Miss, but as requested here is tonight's meal." She sat the tray on the settee at the foot of the bed before retreating, making sure to shut the door behind her leaving the two alone once again. Two glasses of wine sat next to two mugs of water, dished out onto a large platter were pieces of venison surrounded with roasted root vegetables and a crusty loaf of bread. The perfect meal. Silence consumed both Izabella and James as they ate, though as she had already fulfilled her hunger for blood for the night it made the vampiress need less. Delicately she held the stemmed wine glass between her fingers, swirling the red liquid within before bringing it to her rubicund lips. The tray remained at the end of the bed as they sank into a pleasant chatter, the Captain detailing what he could about the two weeks he was away and Izabella sharing the boring tales of entertaining some of the ladies and the luncheons she had attended with prestigious hosts.

The storms in the distance slowly rolled in, the brief illumination from the lightning created harsh lines and shadows in her room. Rain pattered against the windows and the rumble of thunder ensured that between it and their conversations there was no silence but when the midnight hour approached the Captain was slowly succumbing to sleep and so Izabella followed.

Izabella woke with a fright when she felt the man at her side toss in his sleep, his skin feverish compared to the normal warmth. Shaking him awake she lit the bedside lantern, the soft glow made the perspiration on his brow glisten. "James?" His pupils were full blown though as he focused the blue irises became visible once again. Her hand was unnaturally cool against his forehead and cheeks. "My darling, you're burning up with a fever." A quick glance down to his stomach revealed that he had irritated the injury during sleep, fresh blood began seeping through the white bandages, the sight and smell ruining Izabella's coherent train of thought until his hand curled around her wrist.

"I'll have Tutti concoct a tonic and run a cool bath until the morn when a physician can be summoned." The water was left running into the claw foot tub as she ran down the stairs to the lower east wing of the house, pushing open the maid's door in haste. Her hands were shaking but the aging woman shot out of bed, gripping her hands and coaxed out the problem, naught even a full five minutes passed before she was back within her room, forcing the Captain to his feet.

"Belle." He said nothing but her name as they moved down the hall. Shutting off the water she added herbal remedies and oils. She busied herself, removing the soiled bandages tossing them aside. Izabella pressed her hand flat against his ribs, the moonlight seeping through the room's mirrors made her eyes ethereal, and for once he could see the small amount of blue that remained in her golden eyes. His eyes never strayed from hers until she began to work on removing his pants and undergarments.

Heated palms and fingers stop her movements, his eyes hazy with pain and perhaps lust as well though Belle did not care to seduce him in such a state, lest he injury himself further. "You know this is not proper." Sandy blonde hair was rustled from a fitful sleep, his eyes dark from the dim lighting, she blushed, a coy smile playing on her lips but she could feel his breathing fanning over her own cheek and mouth.

Pushing away his hands she continued undressing him, eyes never straying from his. "I've never really been one for tradition as it is." Though at the Captain's hesitance and reticence she diverted her attention whilst he sank into the water, in the mirror she could see that his shoulders were tense, placing the gathered towels aside she sat at the side of the copper tub, her head leaning against the rim.

Water trickled down her neck as James raised his hand from the water, tracing designs along exposed skin, his fingers ghosting over the two punctures that remained as scars. Despite the comfort of his touch she turned to face him, his eyes were softer now but his skin had broken out into horripilation. "You scared me this evening James, I thought I was close to losing you." Her voice was uneven, the emotion clearly there though whether it was purely fear or something more he could not say exactly.

"It'll take a lot more than that to get rid of me, my darling Belle." She grew quiet after he had spoken. The sound of an old clock echoed throughout the house marking that it was four in the morning, the sun would soon be rising. Her downcast eyes and pursed lips were tormenting to the Captain, but as the cold water helped lower his fever he could not help but feel another fever rising within him. He was gentle as he placed his hand under her chin, a silent command to look at him and she complied. Water lapped at the sides as he leaned forward, with a ferocity he had never shown he kissed her. Regardless of the nagging pain in his side James pulled her into the water as well, her chemise was soaked immediately, the tips of her hair darkening at the dampness.

Izabella looked away for a moment, casting an enchantment on the mirror so her reflection would show as well should he look, but heat rose to her cheeks as she looked back at the Captain and the predicament they had found themselves in. She knew her nipples had hardened with a combination of the water and cool night air, her legs straddled the Captain's waist her hips pressing into his. "You are far more ill-behaved than I would have suspected Captain Nicholls." The lady gasped as he sat straighter, hips pressing further into hers, their chests pressed tightly together, but remembering the reason he was within her bath to begin with she pushed him away, lifting her hand to his forehead. Like always he was warmer compared to her own flesh but she could tell that the fever was subsiding.

They had both dried after a few minutes, she had dressed in a tunic that Adam had left while the Captain wore a pair of lounge pants. Izabella was able to patch up the injury once more, wrapping the bandage around his torso. She kissed his shoulders, the skin behind his ears and lastly his temples before urging him back under the covers. The maid knocked and entered slowly, a tankard in hand. "The tonic you requested, Miss." Izabella thanked Tutti as she handed the mug to James, the maid returning to her own room.

"It's whiskey with honey, lemon, chamomile, and valerian root. It works wonders, though at this hour I suspect that it'll be noon before you wake again." She laughed as he smelled the contents of the warm brew. After a moment the Captain downed the liquid and sat the cup aside, relaxing back to the bed once again. He smiled groggily as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Sleep well."

 _The Brighton Estate, London; June 4, 1913_.

He had healed well, the physician had said that there would hardly be a scar and on top of that good news his horse was fine and had developed a keen liking towards Gail. The news of a wandering wolf in the woods on the other hand spread like wildfire throughout the London streets, bounties for the beast were placed and with numerous hunters lurking in the woods at night it was only a matter of time before someone would walk away nearly fifty pounds richer and the people would feel a tad bit safer.

The second of her soirées was to be at sundown, preparations were being made as her house workers bustled about, clipping hedges, polishing floors and straightening picture frames. Izabella scurried about attending to her own preparations but upon the discovery that her ice box was now empty of the substance she so desperately craved she frowned. Going into town and making it back in time for the party was impossible, the primal part of her mind told her to simply pick a drunkard that night and drain him dry but as James would be in attendance she had little desire to leave his side for too long of a time period. Walking back to her room she jumped as she saw Adam appear in the shadowed corner, medical bag in hand. "How did you know?" He chuckled as he sat the bag down, pulling out six canisters of the elixir of life.

"I had a feeling." The vampire shrugged nonchalantly and approached Izabella, with a quick kiss to her forehead he retreated to a more proper distance, though he did not see how her smile faltered. "How are you and your darling James?" Belle rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her bosom.

"We are both marvelous, for once everything is too perfect." Adam gave a halfhearted smile while kicking his shoes away, throwing himself onto her unmade bed, next to her gown for the evening. A pale green ensemble, floor length and decorated with lace and beads with tulle accents and large neck that would showcase her delicate neck and collarbones. For the time being on the other hand she wore a rather ratty looking shift that was stained from use and work, the seams were soon to be torn as well as the skirt. Time passed rather quickly when the common bickering between she and Adam started up and soon four o'clock came around and she was shrugging off the tearing gown and tossing it aside to be mended and washed.

Izabella looked over herself, smoothing down the skirt and waist of the dress, fidgeting with the collar and debating on whether jewelry should be added but when Tutti announced the Captain's arrival she slipped on a pair of flat shoes and rushed down the stair sans accessories except for the single pin that held back a neat braid that had been plaited into her hair. Despite his injury James did not shillyshally for a second as he lifted Belle from the hardwood floors, joyfully spinning her about. She laughed like a child as her skirt flowed outward until he placed her back to her own feet. "How are you feeling?"

She fiddled with his bowtie and collar, patting down the lapels of the suit jacket, until his hands curled around her wrists like the gentlest of shackles. "Wonderful, it's grown a bit itchy but I suppose that means that is healing." Regardless of the maids and butlers still running about the activities seemed to stop as well as time as he lifted her wrists to his lips kissing each one and finally placing a lingering kiss on her full lips.

"Come along, I wish to show you something." He followed her, not protesting as she pulled him along through the dining room and to the largest sitting area in the house and in the corner was a new piano, baby grand of course, the lid propped open revealing the intricate details of how the instrument was built. The varnish was black, the patent and mirrored surface seemed to glow as the sun streamed in through the window, and the bench pulled out awaiting to be played. "I haven't stopped thinking about the day you played for me," she admitted with a small smile before continuing with her proposal, "and well; I wish for you to play, not for the guests but for me."

"I fear you overestimate my talent. I can only remember the one composition and granted it is not very impressive." He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, perhaps to conceal the vivid shade of red that rushed to his cheeks. Izabella ran her fingers over the smooth surface before turning to her Captain, her hands settling on the base of his neck. James looked over the instrument appreciatively, his fingers tracing over ivory keys and the decorative engraving. The Captain turned his head and nodded as he played a short scale. Belle's arms wrapped around his waist, pressing her cheek into his back, but he twisted about in her arms.

"Then it's settled, you'll play for me tonight. Just you and I." He smiled and she took it as his agreement to her own private concert, the proposition was sealed with a kiss.


	10. 9

James's sisters had been persistent about seeing the lady that captured his attention and with persuasion directed towards the Captain and their father it was soon decided that they would invite Izabella Brighton to dinner on a summer evening. Where stories could be shared and life could be celebrated, James always spoke highly of the woman and in digression from his sisters he had even spoken to his father about marriage. The thought of marriage had rarely crossed his mind since the school days where many men would sport a woman for nothing more than a trophy of class and wealth but the longing was there. To settle down as his mother and father had done, to have that relationship and the love that never died. One day as Jamie came to ride with the Captain he had even made mention about looking at rings. To which the Major laughed, all in good nature, of course.

"What did I tell you Jim? From that day we all had tea together, hook, line, and sinker." James rolled his eyes and urged Bill into a gallop, Topthorn never straying too far behind. I love her, his heart was very adamant about reminding him of that fact, every time the two were together, whether it be a day's outing or the few nights he had stayed with her. Questions ran rapid through his head. How do I tell her? Is this too soon? When should I tell her? Will she return my affections? But there was that nagging voice in the back of his head, that voice that told him that becoming involved with her was dangerous, not just because of his profession and that the threat of war could arise, but because of the strange things that he had seen of the course of their months together.

Her disappearances on the nights he stayed, though brief did not sit right with him. The glass he had seen on her bedside table stained a dull red as if it had once held blood. The avid avoidance of attending church and while many homes still had small crucifixes to show devotion to the religion there was nothing holy on the Brighton Estate. Often she had mentioned and spoke of events that had long been in the past as if she were there and experienced them first hand but he had always excused it because of her education and collection of historical books.

The meticulous way she never wore silver, not a necklace nor a hair comb, not even accents on her gowns when silver would have been the more appropriate match to some ensembles. And when he was attacked by the wolf, he could see the cringe she gave at the sight of blood, and the way her pupils dilated with bloodlust. On some nights and occasions she seemed to forget the elongated canines and smiled and while it was breathtakingly beautiful it also reeked of danger. All the pieces clicked, all the clues were there but the only thing that kept him from labeling her as such a creature was that she could walk in the sun, but despite that his brain told him that she was one, even though he could not bring himself to use the word, and yet his heart still held nothing but love for the woman.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; June 29, 1913_.

Her outings with James had grown more frequent as for a long while he had no duties to attend to, they rode often and visited the shops of London on more than one occasion, pointing out ridiculous items and those that they felt would be suiting for one another. Hand in hand they would walk down the streets though her heart stalled when he slowed down at the shop front of a jeweler's store, elegant diamond rings sitting in the windows display. They had even passed an art supply store that had been hidden away in one of the alleys, the pastels and paints were all aligned by color, pencils and pieces of charcoal had been sharpened and were ready to be purchased and used but what had caught Belle's attention were the sketchbooks. Some were large, obviously for landscapes and perhaps planning as well, the size range was impressive but it was a leather bound book that held her focus. It resembled James's, the make and style, though it was a tad bit larger and the leather had been stained to appear the color of cognac. She knew that she would return before his birthday to purchase the book and fresh tools, a smile grew on her lips at the thought.

Adam had been at her house after she arrived from the outing with the Captain, he saw her smile as they walked through the front door, the way she looked alive, and the fact that she was in love. He decidedly vanished to find Eve and speak of his revelation that if James agreed to being turned he would aid Belle in the process. It was a week later from the day of window shopping that he was returning back to his own home after a day of riding and lounging in her garden that the words almost slipped from her lips. I love you, James. Questions ran rapid through her head. How do I tell him? Is this too soon? When should I tell him? Will he return my affections? The voices of doubt were there in her head, lurking about, but she would not let those thoughts and voices win, she rarely even heard them even when they were screaming at her.

Izabella sat at her vanity looking back at the reflection, she missed her blue eyes, but she had James's and they held an entire sea in each iris. Her hair had been curled and coiffed with the assistance of Adam, she was shocked that he remembered anything about such things as his and Eve's hair was dry and frayed, not that it made her adore them any less it was merely surprising when he offered to aid her. The lady of the house stood in front of her mirror, her reflection looking back at her, as the vampire behind her pulled at the laces of the bodice of the corseted gown. His nimble fingers elegantly tied the off the strings and tucked them away from sight.

"Thank you, Adam." He contemplated kissing her lips as he had done so often in the past, but this time he stopped himself and instead kissed her forehead. Izabella was thankful for the restraint but quickly she threw her arms around him, kissing the corner of his thin lips. The grandfather clock echoed through the house and told her that is was four o'clock, James would be arriving any minute. Pulling a flask from his trouser pocket Adam passed it to Belle, curling her fingers around the rusting container that was filled with the only thing that could prevent her from losing herself around the Captain. She drank, greedily, as she hoped that she would not be back at her own estate till morning. When Tutti announced that her courter was now in the foyer she turned the flask up, downing the rest of the contents before smiling at Adam and throwing the metal flagon back to him as he turned to curl up in her bed until night was upon them again.

Had she looked at her reflection afterwards she would have noticed the blood smeared on her bottom lip but the excitement overtook her and it left no time for once overs. Her smile was wide and welcoming if not a bit frightening as she descended the stairs, a pale hand gliding over the smooth varnished banister. She stood in front of the Captain and quickly they both brought each other into their arms, though when James stepped back he tipped her chin up, his thumb resting below a small droplet of what appeared to be blood. "Is that blood?"

If she could have kicked herself for the sheer stupidity and recklessness of the moment she would have, but the lady was quick at conjuring a falsehood to cover her identity. "Oh my! I stubbed my toe on the way down and bit my lip. Seems I may have bit it harder than I thought." They both shared a light chuckle but tentatively she swiped her tongue over her lower lip, though the small burst of ecstasy that flooded through her veins was hard to suppress she managed.

"Shall we?" James extended his arm for her to take as they walked back to his awaiting car, the engine rattled the same way it always did. The bumps down the dirt dry were ever present and on the old road hole were filled in with water from summer storms, sloshing about as the wheels drove through. He looked over as the gentle breeze caught her hair and lifted it away from an angelic face. "I hope you will not have any objections to Jamie dining with us this evening, it seems my dear little sister has caught his eye." She almost laughed at the thought of Jamie, the stoic and strictly business man that he was ever fancying a woman, let alone James's younger sister but she knew he was respectable man and it was a smart match.

Olivia rushed to greet Belle and James as they entered the house, her arms opened wide to bring the vampiress into a warm hug. "I was worried that Jim would never bring you around again." She chuckled and the two followed the lively young woman into the sitting room where Jamie and James's father were deep in conversation, by the brief glimpse she heard it had something to do with military strategy. With a questioning look James seemed to ask if she would be all right with his sister while he joined the other men in their discussion, of course she could handle his sister.

"You and Major Stewart, eh?" A vibrant shade of red rushed to Olivia's cheeks and she nodded, but not without hesitance. "He is an honorable man, though from the few times I've been graced with his company it seems as if he is all business and no play. I can't say I've ever seen the man smile." Olivia chuckled as the two woman made their way to a separate room while final touches to the night's meal were being made.

"Ahh, yes. Jamie is a very serious man but underneath that exterior is a very loving man. We've known each other for years. Our families have been friends for generations according to my father." Izabella had heard of the Stewart and Nicholls families though she never went out of the way to meet them in her long life but now she was glad for there was no one that could create suspicion towards her. "So how are you and James?"

The fiery haired woman smiled, her hand folded on her lap. "We are well. I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale and he's Prince Charming. Your brother is wonderful, I care for him, dearly." Talk of the latest trends in fashion, music, and art had been discussed between the two woman before both James and Jamie came along to retrieve them for the meal, each with gentle look in their eyes accompanied by a very small smile.

Dinner went by quickly as the meal was plated up, bottles of wine were opened and glasses had been filled and refilled. For the first time she saw the Major crack a genuine smile and laugh, though the way he looked at Olivia was nothing short of sincerity and caring. Before long the conversation had dulled and James's sister sat at the piano, cracking her knuckles before she began to play, Jamie sitting at her side on the bench. James smiled and extended his hand for her to take. "Dance with me?" His voice was honey and impossible to resist, even though the clock had struck ten.

As the music started, the feel of his hand at her waist, the other holding her own hand tightly but not painfully, Izabella felt faint for the first time in her life, it was absolutely absurd considering that they had danced before. But as they swept into the first turn, she felt all resistance fall away, any thought of speaking of his skill was chased away by the piercing, burning eyes that found and held hers. Her breath strangled in her throat as they revolved, her skirts brushing his breeches, the reality of his hard body impinging on her senses. And oh how she could smell the sweet scent of his blood, it could drive her mad and suddenly she realized how Adam had felt the day they had met.

James felt like he was in an odd mix of heaven and hell. Holding Izabella in his arms felt so right, so natural that he never wanted to let go, yet he knew her to be something dark, dangerous, and ancient. But the way her body sank against his, pulling scandalously close during the turns as he negotiated the empty floor, her golden eyes gleaming, her lips parted and redder from the exertion of the dance. He was glad their waltz was silent; he wasn't sure he could have managed conversation, or coherent conversation at least. He saw the same sensual awareness and shuddered as need lanced through him, painful and hot.

Heated awareness faded as Izabella stepped back. James's arms fell reluctantly but he extended his arm and with heavy breathing she accepted, allowing him to take her into the night air, under the trees and the full moon. He led her to the stone bench where he had first asked her permission to courtship and now they sat once more. Belle placed her hand atop her diaphragm as if to regulate her breathing, but it was all becoming too much, the scent of him, the tightness of the corset. She gripped his hand and squeezed to the near point of pain for standing in hopes to alleviate the feeling. "I can't breathe...too tight. Breathe."

Without stopping to think, he reached for her lacings, batting away her hands and undoing the knots, being too far up her back for herself to reach. As soon as he loosened it, the back gaped and she exhaled with a gasp, leaning against him as she forced air back into her lungs. Lust rushed through him, at the sight of her gently sloping shoulders, exposed by her loosened gown, pearly skin gleaming in the moonlight, red hair darkened to deepest scarlet. He was almost afraid of the heady rush of lust, at the feel of her soft weight in his arms, her silken hair against his cheek.

Izabella gasped when she felt his mouth on her neck, against the soft curve where her pulse still beat erratically, as her head cleared and the dizziness faded only to be replaced with desire. His lips were cool, his touch set her alight, wiping her mind clean of everything except for him. "James!" The laugh he gave was breathy and warm as it fanned out against her neck. Keeping her modesty in mind he retied the strings, loser this time as to prevent what had happened moments prior. She sighed contentedly, Adam had shown her love once more, but James, James had already gone above and showed her how it felt to be cherished.

"Come now, I think I may have to get another piece of cake." He smiled at her in the pale moonlight, she laughed as he had already eaten two pieces and his sweet tooth was very prominent. They ventured back into the house, the music from the piano had stopped and the room was vacant though in the dining room Jamie sat at the table with a napkin wrapped around his hand, blood beginning to seep through the white material. "What happened?"

"No worries Jim, my own blunder I'm afraid. The knife slipped while I was cutting a slice of cake for Olivia." The Major's response was unconcerned for the cut, Izabella closed her eyes, her grip on the Captain's hand tightening. His blood smelt different than James, but like his she could tell it was uncontaminated, and the hunger resurfaced but rather than making a fool of herself she focused and urged herself to faint. James had just enough time to stop her from falling forward and quickly Olivia shooed them away so she could tend to the Major's hand.

"Belle?" She was in a bed that much she could easily tell, her head ached and at the pain she desperately wished that the man calling her name was Adam with a vial of blood but she knew better. It would be James. "Darling?" he dabbed a cool cloth over her forehead and her neck but she turned away from his touch, resisting what he was doing. She was tired, worn, and above all parched as the small amount of blood she consumed earlier in the evening had already left her system famished. Though when he offered a goblet of water to drink she did and for what seemed a small eternity he sat on the edge of the bed, his bed to be exact.

"James, I want to go home." Her voice was meek but the Captain only nodded and before she could protest he swept her into his arms, unknowingly exposing his neck and vein to a vampire. All she would need to do is wrap an arm around his neck for leverage and sink her fangs into the soft column of flesh. They passed Jamie and Olivia still chatting and with affirmation from both Izabella and James they knew that the lady would be just fine with some decent rest. Despite his gentle commands for her to lie in the backseat she insisted to sit in the front next to him, head resting on his shoulder whilst he drove. The gentle shaking of the car on the old dirt roads was somehow able to lull her to sleep, when they arrived at her home he took her into his arms once against with the utmost delicacy.

The maid opened the door and smiled, ushering the Captain inside before the storms could roll in for the night. From one of the rooms on the east wing Adam looked out of the door but never did make his presence known, frankly Izabella would probably have his head if she knew he had been continuing some of his own experiments within her home, but regardless he slipped back into the shadows recognizing that she was indeed safe with Captain Nicholls.

He laid her on her own bed and stripped away what clothing he could but instead of joining her as he would have done on any other night prior to his discovery, he sat on the edge, back turned from Izabella. James twiddled his thumbs and toyed with the buttons on his dress shirt as he tried to decide what to do. If she was indeed a vampire then she had lied to him, inadvertently by means of concealing the truth but a lie nonetheless. James being a military man and gentleman valued honesty, but he knew she had good reason behind her motives, or so he hoped.

Did he want to leave? Heavens no, he was already far too fond of the lady to do that, his heart would overrule his mind and he would not be strong enough to stay away. But was he unsettled? Most definitely. She was perilous, or so the folklores said her kind would be, but he had no reason to suspect that she was dangerous to him, or anyone else for that matter. She was loved and respected by the community, even the lesser royals knew of her. Izabella had a kind heart it easily could be seen by the care and devotion to her animals, there was also a passion burning within her for literature and art, not to mention the tedious work she had put into such a lavish garden.

He looked over his shoulder to see that she was still sleeping, though it appeared she had grown paler in the candlelight. God, I think I love you Izabella. The hand on his back startled him, but the light pressure and cool touch he felt seep through his shirt told him it was Belle, but still he did not turn to face her. "James?" Her voice was stronger but his name was spoken with such uncertainty that it made his heart ache. Rather than turning and taking her into his arms he looked straight ahead at the door and risked everything they had built over the past months with one statement that he hoped would not destroy them.

"Belle, I...I know what you are."


	11. 10

" _Belle, I...I know what you are_." She was not sure if she had heard the words right, maybe this was all a torturous dream, she hoped it was. The words stung as they were repeated in her mind and still James did not look at her. She tried to speak but her throat was unbearably dry, she wanted to cry but she could not.

Reaching out she touched his shoulder but withdrew her hand when he flinched away. One simple movement caused her heart to shatter. He would be no different than the others, he would run now that he knew her true nature and she would be left with no one except Adam. The silence stabbed at her heart, it almost felt as if a wooden stake had been drove into her chest. "James, please. Look at me." He could hear the crack in her voice and it cracked his resolve, he turned just so that she could look upon his face. The emotions she saw were too numerous to decipher, but the betrayal was there, in his crystal blue eyes and it masked the love he felt. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Her hand was raised to touch his cheek, to press her hand against his skin, but she let it fall back to the bed, tears finally beginning to well in her eyes. "I'm sorry, James." The Captain could not stand to see her in such distress, despite better judgement as his mind told him to follow he leaned forward, closer to Izabella until he could press his lips firmly against hers, if only to assure her that he was not going anywhere when he could not find the words to speak.

Her body sank instinctively against his, and he fought back a moan at the exquisite sensation. The sharp curve of her cheekbone beneath his palm burned him, and he dropped his hand to her waist, bringing her closer, so the soft swell of her breasts pressed against him. One of her hands rose to his cheek, holding it tenderly, as she sighed against his kiss, her teeth nipping his bottom lip.

He shouldn't, but he couldn't resist. Belle's heart nearly stopped when she felt the questing, questioning weight of Jim's tongue against her parted lips. She was too far gone to deny him anything. She loved him. She opened her lips further, and threw caution to the winds. She was going to rot in hell for this, for what she was, she may as well enjoy it to the full. She stretched up in his arms, feeling her entire body tingle and simmer with over a month's worth of unsatisfied desire, as his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her hard against him. He moaned quietly against her mouth, and she shuddered, as the sound set her body aflame. She felt alive with him and it was truly reinvigorating.

The pleasure and the heat spreading along every limb and every extremity of James's body felt enough to burn him alive. He could feel the boundaries of his control loosening with every caress of their lips, every moan he drew from her. Her hips gently moved against his, almost unconsciously, and he needed to stop it right there. With an anguished groan, he pulled away from her heavenly mouth, looking down on her. Her breath trembled in little pants, her eyes were like two flaming embers, and he was both stunned and glad to see she was flushed. "James, please," she shut her eyes, willing him not to say it, even as heat flared anew at his words. She loved him.

"Why did you lie?" She closed her eyes and pulled him further into her bed. His eyes were distant yet solely focused on her, and the intensity those amazing blue held were in their own way, frightening. This time when she lifted her hand to his cheek he did not flinch nor resist her touch, the soft smile that formed on her red lips was enchanting.

"I was going to tell you, truly I was." She paused, hand falling back into her lap. The bright gold eyes that had looked dead at him lowered almost in shame. "I thought if you knew me for how I am around others and how I am around you that maybe, in time, when I did reveal what I was you would not be frightened or leave me. It was a purely selfish act and I am sorry for that." His eyes softened and so did the features of his face, did he still hold a certain amount of anger and betrayal, yes, but he understood her motives for keeping her nature secret and for that he could not be as angry as he wished to be.

"I will not leave you Izabella," he took her hands within his until they were fully encased in his big, soft hands. "Not unless you wish me too." Her lip quivered but relief flooded through her veins and for that time her hunger was forgotten, everything but James was lost to her. Izabella leaned forward, her forehead pressed into his chest, her body slumping against his. After a silent moment she took on of his hands and placed it on her chest.

"It beats?" His question was soft and timid, she should have been offended by the accusation that her heart did not beat but she knew the lore that surrounded her kind. "The stories, they all...they all said." He could not bring himself to finish as the beat beneath his palm was real. Lifting her head she looked into his eyes, a sad smile playing at the corner of her lips. She pressed his hand more firmly against her skin, and nodded slowly for affirmation.

"Yes, my heart beats, just like yours, James." His fingertips curved into the dip at her clavicle, the touch causing her already unsteady heartbeat to pick up its pace once more. "And if you focus for a moment and feel you should know that it is beating faster that normal." James opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, his jaw clenching but still she held his hand against her chest. She was searching his eyes, he knew she was, but despite that voices screaming in his mind to get the answers to all the questions he had he could not soil this moment. This moment of sheer openness and acceptance.

Gently he pushed her back further into the bed, until her scarlet curls were fanned out against the cream color pillowcases and the deep violet sheets. Giving into sensation he braced his weight over her, lips barely brushing hers, the act would drive her to insanity. Izabella quickly did away with his dress shirt, untucking it from the black trousers and carelessly pushing the suspenders back though they still remained clipped to his waistband. "James." Large hands deftly pulled at the front of the underdress she was left in, she allowed him to strip her of it leaving her bare asides from the thin piece of fabric covering her most intimate areas.

He sat back on his heels and looked over the vampiress splayed out before him, her skin was deathly pale but in the moon and candlelight she looked ethereal. Her red hair appeared all the more vibrant and the golden eyes seemed to take on a more blue appearance. The soft swells of her breasts heaved in exertion from her own control. He desperately wished to transfer her beauty to paper, but he knew his skills would be inadequate. His silence unnerved her, squeezing her eyes shut she looked away until a warm hand brushed over her cheek. "Izabella, please look at me." The request was soft and pleading and made it all the harder to resist, his cheeks were flushed and hair in a disarray, wild curls popping out paired with a boyish smile.

"James." Before she could come up with words to speak his lips were pressed to hers, her hands were tangling in his hair but she broke away and reached for one of his hands. The brazen boldness was clearly evident in her dilated pupils. The Captain watched her actions with rapt attention as she placed his hand on one of her breasts, it fit perfectly within his palm, he leaned down and kissed her once more but the uncertainty was there and so was the hesitance. "James, what are we doing?" His lips had moved across her jaw and to her neck but the actions felt forced and unnatural.

Tears gathered in her eyes. "James." His name was a plead, for what she wasn't quite sure but with guilt laced within his blue gaze he sat back, his own skin taking on a more ruddy appearance than usual. "I don't trust myself. Pleasure may cause me to do things that I regret." He nodded and reached to the floor, picking up his discarded shirt and offered the article to Izabella. "I'll be right back." She gave a distressed smile and kissed the corner of his lips before retreating to the room that contained the ice box of sustenance. Popping the cork from a single vial she drained it, feeling the warmth spread across her body, but her hands were shaking and the vial shattered upon being dropped.

Adam was in the door way, watching her distressed and panicky nature. "Did he hurt you?" She vehemently shook her head. The vampire sighed and grabbed her wrists pulling her to stand from the pieces of glass. "Go, I can handle this." Gratefully she nodded but not before throwing her arms around his neck, holding him tight.

"Thank you Adam." The beginnings of smile was on his lips as he bent down to clean the glass, leaving Izabella to return to her chambers. James had folded the sheets back in her absence and was sitting against the headboard.

"What is it like? To feed?" She almost laughed at his question, people didn't exactly show interest in knowing how it felt to slake the hunger but she shook her head and slipped next to him, her ear resting over his chest.

"I am sure you have many questions about my nature and I will answer all that I can, but for tonight can we just stay like this?" James agreed and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in place. Izabella waved her hand and the remaining candles extinguished, she tittered at the Captain's confused look, "I'll explain in the morning. I promise." He kissed the top her head and she curled further into him.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; June 30, 1913_.

Her kitchen maid delivered a breakfast to their room out of assumption based on past times the Captain had stayed, the two had already been awake when she knocked, entering with a tray of eggs, bacon, and freshly baked croissants, two cups of steaming tea were prepared according to their liking as well. The two ate in relative silence, but it was far from uncomfortable. James was running a million questions through his mind, from the ones that would come from legend and those that were decidedly more personal.

Izabella fiddled with the buttons on the shirt she wore awaiting the barrage of questions she knew he must have; answering them all to the best of her abilities and truthfully would build his trust back, she was sure of it. The white material was much too large for her small frame, but James smiled at her almost forgetting that the woman before him was a creature of lore. "Who turned you? If you do not mind me intruding in such matters." She shook her head playfully at his ever present sense of decorum.

A wistful and distant smile formed on her lips, lost in memories of the past. The ones of that night, and those that followed. "Adam. Adam did," she almost wished he was present to answer questions that she may not know the answers to and supplement hers with his wisdom from age. The Captain accepted the answer with a nod.

"What was it like? To be turned? Do you really have to die?" She turned his hand over and traced the lines of his palm as if she could derive an answer from them, as if his hands held the answer to all her questions. Izabella did not want to directly state that she and Adam had copulated during her transition but she knew in time the truth would have to come forth.

"It was very...intimate. Sometimes the transition can be painful but Adam ensured that the manner in which it was done was incredibly gentle and among other things, distracting. But no you do not actually die in a medical sense." Her fingertips found the large blue vein on his wrist, breathing in she traced it up his arm and to his elbow before following it back down. "Your body changes, you can feel every single cell morphing inside you, evolving, it feels like you're burning from the inside, but I fear even that cannot accurately describe the sensation."

He pursed his lips, thinking over her words. Intimate. That word stood out the most and for a moment he was deathly jealous that he would not be the first to know her but knowing what she was, that her age exceeded his eased the coveting. Belle could look at him and see the cogs of his head turning at the meaning of her words. "So when you feed, does it feel like that all over again?" He snapped out of his own thoughts as she took one of the remaining grapes from breakfast and popped it into her mouth.

"No, feeding is euphoric. It feels like you're flying, your body is on a pleasure rush." She looked up at him from beneath her dark lashes, an imp-like smile settling on her lips that frightened the Captain for only a moment. "I might even dare say it feels very similar to an orgasm." At her description she looked back to her darling James, his cheeks had gone impeccably red, his mouth on the verge of hanging agape. She laughed at his still stunned expression. "Oh please James."

"What about magic?" She smiled at how uncertain he spoke the word, but she lifted her hand and flicked her wrist causing all the curtains to fall before the windows, blocking out the majority of the sunlight that entered the room.

"A small amount comes with being turned though it takes time and patience to be able to do much of anything. Manipulating matter is essentially all I have accomplished but I don't do it often. It is incredibly exhausting and causes the thirst to spike." She stood from the bed and extended her hand. "Walk with me." His shirt fell to her knees and looked decidedly better on her, decency was forgotten for the time being as he walked without a shirt into the morning air of her garden.

The summer heat had come, the scent of roses lingered heavily in the hair along with sweet pea and peony. Dew still glistened on the petals and grass. The stone footpath was cool beneath bare feet. "Are the myths about sunlight not true?" All the legends claimed that sunlight would turn a vampire to dust if exposed. She thought about Adam and the time she had forgotten to close her curtains all the way. He had awakened screaming and shaking, the skin of his calf melting to reveal tendons, muscles, and bone but after she closed the curtain he healed.

"They are." She responded, not looking at him.

"Then how?" Izabella smiled as the Captain took her hand, causing her to turn and look up at him.

"I made some deals with a rather unsavory character so I would be able to go in the sun. Being a night traveler for just five years drove me to insanity, the circumstance surrounding this is that if I feed from a person, I must kill them not turn them or let them go after I've had my fill." She watched as some of the color drained from his skin, the pink in his cheeks was a little less prominent. Izabella placed her free hand on his cheek. "But I can assure you I do not harm anyone, nor does Adam we have other more refined methods of getting what we need."

They continued to walk past the Middlemist red tree to the abundance of rose bushes that were grouped together at the back of the garden before the small orchard she had as well. The apple blossoms had fallen off and the small fruits were beginning to show, the skins still green. "Do you have a..." he swallowed, looking for a certain word, "preference?"

She smiled and forced her fangs to show, his eyes widened, unused the seeing the vampiric teeth. "O Negative." James faltered. "I know you are O Negative, James. I can smell it, but I would not feed from you. Nor anyone else. There is no need to live that lifestyle any longer." Izabella sat on the edge of the stone fountain in the center of the rose circle, placing her bare feet into the clear water. The Captain sat by her side but elected to keep dry, his hand rested on top of her knee, rubbing tight circles with the pad of his thumb.

"Garlic?" He asked, the tone of his voice clearly quizzical.

She shook her head and pressed her hand against his bare chest, the feel of his rising and falling chest was a comfort. "No. In fact, Italian cuisine is one of my favorites."

The Captain began to roll the legs of his black slacks up to his knees, his feet going into the water as well, playfully she tapped his foot with her own, he smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Crosses?"

She cringed but was quick to supplement a more complete answer. "It is not the symbol that bothers me but the religion itself, so if I seem unnerved by one it is not because I am a vampire."

"How about silver?" He knew this to be an important question, as the rings he had eyed in the shop windows were silver and he would do nothing to harm her. This discovery would make him all the more attentive to her, but it was also a comfort to know that she was not a delicate flower that would shrivel and be lost to time. She was a survivor and she would endure.

"I can wear it for short periods before it begins giving me a headache, though at night I cannot wear it at all." The vampiress stretched her legs out further, letting the flowing water run over her calves as well.

"Mercury?" The Captain inquired, his eye brow raised.

Izabella shuddered remembering the time Adam had let a drop of mercury from one of his experiments fall on his hand. It had burned through skin, muscle, and bone leaving a hole that took three days to heal, even with the nourishment that blood could provide, the mercury had caused his accelerated healing to stop. Even to this day it took Adam longer to heal than it actually should. "I refuse to be anywhere near that element."

James noted the bitterness in her voice and simply nodded before a more interesting question popped in his mind. "Oh! Can you shift forms into bats?" She looked over at him with a satirical smile before chuckling.

"That is absolutely absurd." At her expression the man at her side broke out into a wide smile, after a moment of rethinking the question he had just asked he shook his head, laughing softly. Unable to look away Izabella leaned over and pecked the corner of his lips, though before she could pull away he drew her back to him and placed his lips on hers. Her heart accelerated, as did his but after a moment his train of questions had returned to the track.

"Wooden stakes?"

She clasped her chest dramatically, gasping at the suggestion but her keen balance faltered and she slipped into the fountain, both her hair and shirt were soaked. James laughed but still awaited her answer. "If it can kill you, it can kill me; though if I do go that way I must say I'd make it dramatic."

"That was certainly a dramatic performance, my darling Belle." He stood and extended his hand, she took it and was quickly pulled back to her feet and into his chest. James desperately tried to ignore the fact that his white shirt had grown sheer and how it clung to her curves but the longing was there and the images resurfacing from the previous night did not help. He distracted himself with more questions as they walked back to the house. "How about increased strength and speed? I've heard a few tales with those traits."

She stopped in her tracks with a devious smile that would have frightened any man with enough sense, but he smiled. "Why don't you hit me and find out?" She dared, raising a perfectly sculpted brow at the Captain.

His eyes went wide once her words registered and vehemently he shook his head. "Belle, I refuse to harm you, or even attempt to do so." The vampiress took his hand for reassurance, placing a short and chaste to his palm before letting it fall back to his side. The same daring and confident look remained on her face.

"I promise you will not hurt me." She smiled and urged him to attack, his punch was swift but met air as she had moved behind him faster than he had blinked, he turned and lashed out once more but she caught his fist before it landed with a wide and triumphant smile and pushed him back with barely any seeable effort and he nearly tripped.

"Well I'll be damned." He laughed and quickly drew her into his side, he asked no more questions as they walked back.

" _Fucking hell_." Her attentive and slightly pointed ears heard the pained hiss as soon as they stepped foot into the hall of the spare rooms and immediately frowned. Rushing to the source with James following behind her she threw open the door to see Adam, unable to move from his seated position as the sun took its toll on the exposed skin of his back.

She raised her hands and complete darkness encompassed the room, carefully she knelt down next to him, her hand on his shoulder. "Adam?" His chest was heaving as he looked down at the woman and she frowned at the phial of mercury and other metals that were littered around the table.

"Belle..." Her name was a whisper as his hands dug into the seat of the chair, ripping through the upholstery and tearing into the aging wood. James watched curiously and cringed as he slid further into the room as well to see just exactly what the light had done to him.

"Adam, what happened?" Izabella stroked his cheek, drawing some of the pain away from him and into her, empathy was something else she had learned within the two centuries since she had been turned. Her enchanted and luring voice easily coaxed the answer from the stubborn vampire.

"Experiment went wrong last night and I fell asleep before closing the curtains." He felt ridiculous speaking such an answer aloud but he was in pain and he was hungry.

"What have I told you about that, about doing this?" She chided, unable to be mad at him just yet for using one of her spare rooms into a makeshift lab, she could very well see that he would not heal quickly without the aid of blood.

"I know, I know." His laugh was dry, Eve would have scolded him like a child had she been the one to find him like this, perhaps it was a good thing that they kept their distance for some periods of time. Izabella touched his cheek lovingly, the action did not go unnoticed by the Captain.

"I'll be right back, okay?" She turned and looked at James, her eyes were soft and voice hypnotic. "Make sure he does not try to get up." He nodded as she left the room, her footfalls fading as she would undoubtedly be making her way upstairs to the ice box. From the corner of his eye Adam eyed the man, his grey irises piercing through the Captain.

"She is something else is she not?" Adam could not hide the admiration for the woman that was in his voice, in many ways she was the opposite of Eve yet with the two of them he was completed. The vampire rested his head on the table, feeling foolish.

James smiled and looked closely at the tools and vials scattered across the workbench he had made on an old tea table. "She's perfect." Adam nodded in agreement.

"Then why don't you tell her that, Captain Nicholls? And that you love her? She loves you, I know she does. Even Eve could see it." It had been over a month since the Captain had a brief meeting with his wife and himself, and if it was true that she did indeed love him he wondered if those feelings had grown. He knew his had, he just could not find the right way to say it, to say those three little words. "Hearts are wild and untamed creatures, that is why our ribs are cages but sometimes life is a little more exciting when you let them run free." Adam scoffed afterwards at how much he sounded like his wife but James gave a very small smile before Belle returned with two vials of what he knew now to be blood.

Izabella took Adam's chin within her hand and stared down at him in a way that reminded James of how he and his sisters acted. "Okay Casanova, what have you told James?"

"Nothing, darling." He smiled impishly and she swatted his arm before passing the vials to him and looking over his back once more. It had begun healing and as he drank the first vial the skin began return to the pale shade she was used too. Kissing his temple she turned and took James's hand and led him from the room, shutting the door behind her.

"I swear, sometimes he makes me want to put a stake in his heart while he sleeps." Belle muttered as they headed toward her room. James shook his head and brought their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles before a harsh voice interrupted from the other side of the closed door.

"I heard that Belle!" They both burst out laughing at Adam's declaration and hastily made their way up the stairs and to her room. Slowly she unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall from her shoulders and nearly to the floor but she caught the material with grace and slipped on her dressing gown, before tossing the shirt back to the Captain.

"Izabella, I..." He stopped and swallowed, bringing his hand to rest against her cheek as she turned away from her reflection. "I cherish you," the words were sincere but she could not stop her heat from falling just the slightest. Perhaps he was treading light since it had only been three months but she knew what her heart was telling her. "May I kiss you?" She nodded, not even sure as to why he asked but in a blink his lips were on hers, warm and soft and positively pliant.

He parted in the hours before it would be time for tea telling her that he would help his father on the morrow and should they finish at a decent time he would come but if not she would see him the day after that. They exchanged countless more kisses before he drove off in the afternoon sun, but she was certain that their relationship was being built to last, they would survive though she knew the course of true love never did run smooth.


	12. 11

_The Brighton Estate, London; August 18, 1913_.

Izabella entered the old art supply shop, the owner came to the counter and smiled warmly at the woman he had remember coming in to look not so long ago. Immediately she went over to the shelf where numerous journals and books were stacked neatly. The sketch book she picked up was bound in soft leather and dyed to a shade of cognac, smiling fondly at the thought of her darling Captain she walked to the counter and set it down carefully. "Sir? Can you aid me in picking out the correct charcoals for this paper?" The man pushed his thick glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he examined the book, running his wrinkled fingers over the cream colored pages.

The tuft of white hair atop his head was thinning and his clothes were stained with paints and pastels. He was exceptionally kind as he led the woman towards the bins and boxes filled with different drawing utensils. "Of course, Miss. May I ask what kind of drawing you wish to do?"

Izabella shook her head, "Oh, not I, it is for a very dear friend."

The old man smiled and picked up a piece of charcoal that was about the length of his withered thumb and the sun the entered through the windows made the gold band on his finger glint in the light. She noticed that his nose was long and abnormally pointed at the tip and when he walked there was a terrible limp in his step but despite that he constantly wore a smile. "This wouldn't happen to be for the young gentleman you were with not so long ago?"

The vampiress laughed softly at the man's keen memory, she and James had not been to town in the past month for certain. "Yes, he sketches, quite well too I must say."

The two moved over to the next shelf with pencils, various kinds were neatly labeled in their boxes, some made of coal, others of graphite. Tapping his chin the man turned and looked up to Izabella from his hunched over position. "May I inquire what he prefers to sketch?"

Drawings from the pages of his sketch book flashed vividly through her mind in a brief second, most were of people, of hands, smiles, and eyes. There was a picture of his dear horse and of the land and woods at the side of his home and lastly was the sketch he had done of her. "People, sometimes landscapes and animals but mainly portraits." The brief sound of plundering hands echoed off the art covered walls. With a triumphant laugh and smile he stood back to full height, a box clasped in his hand. He passed the item to Izabella, the wood she could tell was oak and it could easily pass for a small jewelry box, with a gold polished latch and intricate scroll work that detailed the brand she knew that it would be perfect.

The shop owner slid the latch free and opened the lid, inside was at least twenty different varieties of pencils and pieces of charcoal neatly laid out with an eraser situated in the corner. "I'm afraid the price of these are a bit steep but I can think of no other brand and make that surpass the quality of these. Any artist would be honored to have such tools for their works." She lifted her eyes to the old man who looked down at the open box.

"I'll take them."

"Of course, Miss." She placed the box next to the leather book as the man punched the prices into the till. "This will be twelve guineas, Miss. Is there anything else I can interest you in?" Izabella pulled her coin purse out and shook her head placing out the appropriate amount without depleting her coin for the days outing. The man placed the coins in the tray and pulled out a large piece of parchment and twine.

"Do you engrave or perhaps know someone that would?" Once more he pushed his glasses up onto his nose and finished tying off the black string on the box before moving on to wrap the journal.

"Ah, I do not; but one block down and around the corner is a leather shop. I believe they would be suited to do that work."

"Thank you." They both exchanged a friendly smile before Izabella left the shop, tucking her purchase under her arm and making her way to the leather shop. Amusedly she watched the plummy women pass her by, each trying to sport the newest trend, as if they were in a competition to see who could carry the most shopping bags, and whose the more couture of the selection were. Though she was wealthy, today Izabella walked the streets appearing more like a medieval peasant than a prim and proper lady who owned one of the larger pieces of property in the London area. Her dark blue kirtle and smock were stained and worn from wear, not to mention the sheer age of the garments themselves.

The bell at the door rung when she pushed the wood and glass door open, stepping inside the shop. "How can I help you, little lady?" The orotund and gruff voice sounded from the back room of the small store. Leather was heavy in the air, from products already made to the large sheets of hide that hung like curtains. Her senses were over powered for a brief moment until she pushed through the overbearing scent and approached the desk where a hefty man stood.

Carefully she laid the journal on the scratched wooden surface and untied the black twine until the soft cover was revealed. "I was wondering if you could engrave or press a name into this?" The inflection and annunciation of her voice did not match her attire, which was the first thing the leather smith noticed, it was also a rarity that he was graced with female customers as many kept their distance from such a place.

He scratched his chin and felt the thickness of the leather, she almost feared the dirt and grease from his hands would stain the crisp pages. "Aye, I can do that. What'd you want it to say?" He looked up from the position that he had crouched forward, his smile was crooked and rather unpleasant as he was missing several teeth and his breath reeked of alcohol but Izabella reached for the pen and paper he had provided and began to write the Captain's name.

"James Nicholls." The vampiress spoke his name with fondness as it was impossible not to think of the many days and night they had shared together but the man broke her thoughts with his harsh voice.

The man eyed the name, his face scrunched up whether in thought or distaste she could not tell but he slapped the paper down. "That'll cost you five shilling, or with nine shilling I can do it right now." He reached behind him for a half burnt cigarette placing it between his discolored lips.

"How long is the wait?" She implored, wishing to remove herself from the establishment as soon as possible, her head was beginning to ache.

"A week at most," he pulled out a thick book and flipped to that week, looking over the jobs that had to be completed and started, his beefy fingers drummed on the counter creating an inconsistent rhythm. "Looks like yer in luck little lady, two days and it'll be ready for pick up."

"Actually I'll pay to have it done now." Izabella placed ten shillings on the table, not caring that she had set down a coin too much, the keeper eyed her curiously before raking the money into his hand and sealing it in a box. With a curt nod he took the sketchbook and the slip of paper to the backroom. Izabella paced the store to and fro until the man reappeared with her personalized gift minutes later. She wrapped the journal in the parchment once more and secured it under her arm once again before walking into the London air, which granted was not much more pleasant than the leather store.

Arriving back at her estate she tucked the gift away in her room, out of sight for wondering eyes and as the sun was still out she took to the stables. Rather than strapping a saddle to Glaurung's back she catapulted onto him and urged him into a gallop, her hands twined into his mane. The horse whinnied with excitement as they entered the large and open pasture. The gallop turned into a steady trot as she commanded the beast with such ease it was as if she could speak to them, and they understood. What she hadn't noticed or even heard was Captain Nicholls arrival, though he did not mind. He watched in awe from the white fence as she rode bareback and barefooted.

The woman and horse moved with such grace and strength it made his heart twist, he lost track of how long he simply watched, the most ridiculous smile surely plaster on his face the entire time. When thunder began to roll in the distance that was when she took notice of her Captain and feeling like a fool she urged the steed into a canter. "James! How long have you been here?" She scolded herself for not noticing him sooner but he only smiled and patted the horse's shoulder as it approached, his hand traveling to her calf next. The warm wind was as gentle was the Captain's touch.

He rubbed tender circles on her skin and walked beside the woman and horse as she returned him to the stables. "It seems I lost track, but I didn't mind. I did not know you could ride bareback." He chuckled as she slid from the horses back and into his chest. The proximity allowed him to easily crane his neck down and kiss her lips, he had missed the feel and taste of them and the way the feeling seemed to linger on his skin. Izabella smiled and took his hand, leading him back to the house before the summer storms would begin, the sun had long been veiled by the thick clouds.

"Ahh, it has been a while since I did that. I must admit I was not expecting you today. I take it training with Jamie went swell?" Tutti frowned at her Lady's state, she never did understand Izabella's fascination in going barefooted, but despite the motherly scowl she let the Captain and the vampiress move along.

"It did, after the practice charge we were set to go to the officers club for supper but I had to see you. Being away for a week is torture, especially when I cannot do this," Izabella laughed as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers, their bodies flush against one another's. Her fingers ruffled his polished hair, his dug into her hips.

"Come dinner will be ready." Despite all the myths and legends regarding her kind, the meal they shared was a dish borne in Italy, with robust tomatoes and rich cheeses, not to mention the garlic and basil pesto that had been added to the pasta. James still found it amusing that she could eat garlic and she did so without an ounce of irritation. Their wine glasses had been filled and refilled until the bottle of white wine was emptied. With inhibitions slightly off target Izabella stood and staggered to the foot of the staircase, James following her but not much better off as out of the two she had the higher tolerance for alcohol. They had reached her room and she began to pull off the dress of the day, but a set of hands brushing over her curves caused her to stop, until they settled on her hips.

"I must bathe you foolish man," James laughed and nuzzled his nose into her neck, lips barely brushing over her skin. He wrapped his arms around her from the back, and though he knew she could easily escape him she didn't; she gave into his affections for the moment before insisting that she bathe once more.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" The huskiness of his voice surprised her, she turned as he let his arms fall away from her. Immediately her hands began to fiddle with the tie and buttons on his military issued shirt. "Captain Nicholls! I don't think I've had enough wine this evening to allow that." The vampiress tried to seem ghastly offended by such a prospect but the smile was on her lips and glinting sense of mischief was in her golden eyes.

The Captain laughed, his hands brushing hers away as he undid the rest of the shirt's buttons, tossing the article of clothing to the settee before his hands began fiddling with the strings and ties on the back of her thin dress. "Oh come now, we can be mature about this besides I imagine a bath tub would be rather uncomfortable, not to mention unconventional." Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red at the implications of his words.

Cooler air hit the skin of her back as the laces were undone, James kissed the nape of her neck and she sighed when he pushed the dress from her shoulders. It pooled on the floor leaving her bare, but she smiled at the young Captain, revealing her two pointed canines. "Oh fine, no funny business though." He kissed the corner of her red lips and continued to remove his clothes until he was left in a pair of close fitting cotton under breeches.

"Of course my darling, what am I if not a gentleman?" Izabella rolled her eyes and took his hand, making a quick dash to the bathroom and shutting the door in their wake. Almost immediately James was kissing her, her delicate frame pressed between the hard surface of the door and the lean and firm musculature of his body. Her fingers dug into his shoulder, hard enough to draw blood but before she could succumb to the carnal desires that continued to drive her nuts she pushed the Captain away.

"I'm afraid we must have different definitions of behaving, my Captain." He ran his hand through his styled blonde hair as Izabella turned on the water, letting the hot water run through the piping with ominous sounds that made it seem like the house was alive, and a house that age at times seemed to be a living entity. She was the first to slip into the water, her eyes fluttered shut as her muscles relaxed and seconds later the water lapped at the sides, some splashing over as James joined her.

With a gentleness that was unbecoming of a soldier he lifted her ankle from the water and kissed the rounded bone on the inside of her foot. Izabella sighed and let her head fall back, she was starving. For blood, for physical contact, but she did not want risk losing herself and foolishly biting James whilst in the throes of pleasure that she knew he would cause. He kissed her calf, the inside of her knee and leaned forward placing a soft kiss to her chest and lastly to her lips. She reciprocated until she had enough leverage to push him away and under the water.

He glared at Izabella as he resurfaced, but she only laughed and pushed her fingers through his wet hair. The Captain sat back in the copper tub, drawing Belle closer. She rested her head against his chest and hummed a long lost tune in content. There was no 'funny business' as she had previous called it, and with only kisses and delicate caresses exchanged they dried and fled back to the warmth of her bed like lovesick children. The first distant rumble of thunder made her flinch, as it normally did, but in fact she loved the storms.

She could hear the faint sound of Adam playing the piano that had been placed in one of the many unused rooms of her home, the tune was soft and slow, she noted that she had never heard it and deemed it to be one of his new compositions. James could see the wonder in her eyes as she listened carefully to the faint sound of music and the beating of his heart. Izabella shifted her weight and leaned down, kissing her Captain on the lips as a violin had taken place of the piano, the vibrato seemed to make the instrument cry out in mourning it made her heart twist.

And the tune repeated, barely audible this time as the skip in the record told her that it was now recorded, and he was using the dusty gramophone to play back the piece. Silence lapsed between both Izabella and James until the night had arrived, the striking of the clock was harsh and impervious. The storms had made it dark outside much sooner. She rolled away from James and cringed as her teeth grew to their sharpened points, and throbbing hunger within had grew tenfold. In a stupor she stood from the bed only to be stopped when a warm hand wrapped around her wrist. "Izabella, it will not bother me if you feed in the comfort of your own room, so long as you are okay with it." He had stayed with her enough times to know that she would be leaving to retrieve the blood that kept her alive.

"Of course, but please, don't let it frighten you away." She teased, her smile was light but her expression spoke of the grim pain she faced. She opened the small ice box to see that the once empty vials had been refilled with blood and still three full containers sat next to the tray. Izabella felt her lips tug into a half smile, knowing that Adam had done it, and that still after two centuries he was adamant about supplying her. Taking a single vial out; she walked back to her own room and placed it bedside for a moment while she situated herself next to James.

The small stopper easily popped off and meticulously she filled the small crystal glass to the brim, wiping away the single drop left on the vial. At the small taste her pupils dilated and her body begged for more. James watched her actions aptly but the spark inside him turned into an all-consuming warmth at seeing her expression change, her eyes going wide with the sheer look of pleasure evident. She tipped the glass back, her hand was delicate against the stem and after that it was feeling she experienced every night, though it had not habituated in any sense and she hoped it never would.

Her lips were redder when her head fell back to the pillows, her mouth agape in a perfect oval, and the points of her vampiric teeth barely visible. But her eyes had fluttered shut. James actions were based on pure impulse and lust when he leaned down and kissed the hollow of her neck, the swells of her breasts, she registered the contact and gripped his biceps until he no longer moved, but after that short moment everything became a blurred frenzy. Their kisses were heated and filled with a dangerous passion.

One of his hands cradled the back of her neck whilst the other was firmly pressed against one of her heaving breasts. Izabella's hands tangled in his hair. She could feel him, every inch of his skin pressed flush against hers, it drove her mad with desire, but somewhere her inhibitions were still strong and active, whispering for her to stop, that this would end in disaster and she knew it would. Right now she lusted for him, but above all else she lusted for his blood. The second of hesitance won, but still she countered every kiss and touch with as much fervor as James until the words tumbled out of her lips.

"James; James...I love you." She was crying, tears stung as they rolled down porcelain cheeks. James put a considerable amount of space between them, allowing her to sit up. He reached and wiped away the tears with the pad of his thumb but still he had not spoken. Eve had told her that when she found the right person to love it would never end, that love would never fade even if they had passed on centuries ago. She could only love once, and it would be everlasting, and she had chosen James. She loved him and nothing would stop that love. Eve and Adam were a perfect example of the power of vampiric love.

"Izabella," he whispered her name and suddenly everything thing that had just transpired seemed foolish and inappropriate. This woman was confessing her love and when the words first registered he still wished to devour her. The words that were forming on the tip of his tongue were lost and instead of admitting the feelings he had had since the day in the woods, even when he grew to know the truth it changed nothing. He loved her, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

She swallowed loudly and tore her eyes away from his, silence between them had always been comfortable but now it was unbearable. Izabella began to nod her head, accepting that he would not say the words, that she would have given her heart to someone who would not give her theirs in return. It was moments like this that made her envy Adam and Eve, they had lived and loved for centuries and yet the only man she thought she could have loved threw it carelessly away and now she faced another man. James had been nothing but good to her, so when his forefinger and thumb grasped her chin she was shocked.

"Why would you do this to yourself? You know I will not be around forever." Her tears began again, still he cared. James would not be able to stand growing old while she remained, it would be the worst kind of torture, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his head saying to take the risk and be turned. He could live forever with her and cherish her forever. It was all too tempting and perhaps after copious amounts of thinking and self-reflection he would be able to answer that question.

The Captain cradled her face, still wiping away the tears that betrayed her eyes. Her voice quivered and cracked and with an air of sadness she touched his cheek before placing her hand over his heart. It was beating rapidly. "Because I can only love once and I love you. I will love you long after you are gone." His heart sped up, Izabella could see that he was near tears as well and when he looked away for a moment his eyes betrayed him, she kissed them away with such placidity it made his heart ache.

James was quick to pull her into his arms, she could feel his breath on the top of her head, followed by the feather light weight of his lips. "I do not want to cause you pain, but Izabella, I do love you. Truly, with all my heart but I do not want to hurt you. We both know it is inevitable." The vampiress absently stroked his cheek, her skin was colder than normal, he had never seen so much blue within her golden eyes and when she spoke her voice was distant but a wry smile was playing at her lips.

"I was once told that hearts are wild and untamed creatures, that is why our ribs are cages but sometimes life is a little more exciting when you let it run free." She paused and looked at him, half knowing that he had heard those words before, "That's what I'm doing James, I was letting my heart run free and it ran straight to you."


	13. 12

_The Nicholls Estate, London; September 3, 1913_.

Izabella was thrilled when he returned her sentiments, expressing his love openly after her admission. Their time together never seemed to last long enough before they had to part, even if was only for a single day. Even Adam had grown to enjoy being around the Captain to the point where he decided to share his music. James may have not realized what an honor it was to hear Adam's compositions but he always appreciated what he heard, especially those pieces on the piano. His interest in history was keen as well and that was Izabella's specialty more so than the arts. Now after weeks of anticipation for his birthday it was here, it had arrived swiftly.

A party was to be thrown for Izabella's darling Captain on his birthday. He had been two nights prior to tell her of the small event that would be taking place, though he loathed to leave her estate the next morn. She had neglected the offer of her coachman to take her to the Nicholls Estate, settling on riding Glaurung across town. Her hands gripped the reigns with faded leather gloves and despite the dress she wore she rode normally.

In a saddlebag she had his present, still neatly wrapped in parchment and tied together but she had added a card of sorts as well, if a folded piece of paper could be called such. In the other bag was a flask of blood and a thin night dress as James had asked her to stay the night with him after the festivities were done, under the guise that they would occupy separate rooms to appease his father, even though he was away for the week. Izabella arrived early, as she had meant to, and without being noticed she secured her horse in the empty stable next to James's Bill.

In the open windows she could easily make out Olivia and Katherine rushing back and forth with utensils and salvers in their hands. At the time she opened the front door, the younger of the two girls stumbled forward, nearly dropping the precariously decorated cake to the foyer floor. Izabella's arms extended, balancing the corner of the platter in one hand and James's present in the other. "Izabella! I must say you have impeccable timing." She smiled and fell in step with the sisters, mindlessly helping with the final arrangements and decorations, doing everything they asked of her.

An hour had passed since she arrived and to her dismay James was nowhere to be found in the house. When Olivia noticed she seemed to be looking she grinned and pulled Izabella to a window looking out over the pasture, in the distance she could make out three horses, one of which she knew to be Topthorn. "Jim, Jamie, and Charles all went out this morning. Who knows what they have been plotting but they'll be back shortly." The three ladies carried on, enjoying tea and biscuits. Minimal gossip was shared, but when Belle asked how the suffragette movement was moving along the lighthearted conversation took a more somber turn. Peaceful protests and cries for rights had been silenced, some even thrown into prison. The notion was completely ridiculous and that began a philosophical discussion in regards to the patriarchy that lasted until they heard riding boots click on hardwood floor.

"Oh dear! Katy will you help me wrap Jim's present? Izabella will you keep Jim occupied?" Izabella gave a breathy laugh before slipping from the room and shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked over the banister railing from the second floor as the three men continued on their conversation. James looked up and caught her eyes smiling, dashing up the stairs two at a time like man in a desert upon seeing water.

She laughed when he picked her up by the waist and spun around once, but when settled back on her feet she kissed his cheek, leaving her arms around his neck. "Happy birthday, James." The Captain grinned and abandoned decorum as he kissed her, soundly, until Belle had to push him away to regain her composure and breath.

"Indeed it is now that you are here," the vampiress rolled her eyes at his never ending flattery. "Come with me?" Wordlessly Izabella followed him down one of the halls into his own room, she smiled at the clutter as she had only been in this room once, granted she was not observing her surroundings at that time. His sketches were pinned over the walls, around a map of England and the world, there was an old picture of who she knew to be his father and decidedly the woman in white must have been James's mother. Her hair was dark, but she could not determine the color though it was obvious the Captain had his mother's eyes as even on the paper they seemed to gleam with life.

She turned, and watched with rapt attention as he unbuttoned his riding shirt, a crisp white dress shirt was already laid atop the bed's quilt. "Does the occasion call for cufflinks?" Izabella turned back to the mirror, it made it appear as if the only one in the room was James and that unsettled her to the point where she waved her hand, casting an enchantment over it. A second later her reflection was there.

"I imagine that it is up to you to decide." She offered a small smile before returning her attention to a sketch that resembled her, though it was not the one he had done in the gardens. Pulling her gaze back to James she approached him and reached out, doing up the line of white buttons of the fresh shirt before smoothing down his collar. He decided against wearing the silver cufflinks, keeping in mind that Izabella was not exactly fond of the metal especially as the evening hours were approaching, and adjusted the black suspenders on his shoulders.

He knew something was off about her, it was off-putting and concerned him; she had not been like this since he arrived at her home covered in blood. "What troubles you, my dear?" The red haired woman sighed wistfully as she began to cuff the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows. His forearms, like the rest of him, had been strengthen by riding and the work that went into maintaining such animals. It was if Apollo himself had decided to kiss the Captain's skin to a healthy complexion that was a tad bit ruddy. She could feel his eyes burning into the top of her head and it came as no surprise when his fingers curled underneath her pert chin, raising her head until their eyes met.

"I don't even know the answer to that question. I've had weird dreams and funny feelings, but come now, let's celebrate. Your guests are arriving." She had begun to walk away but the warm hand curled around her wrist stopped the vampire in her tracks. He tugged her back until she was flush against his chest, her chin tipped upwards. The kiss was short, sweet and filled with devotion, it made her heart twist but she returned the kiss with her own until one of his sisters pushed the bedroom door open, awkwardly clearing her throat before rushing away. James rested his forehead upon hers for just a second before leading her from his room and down the stairs to where people had gathered, awaiting the guest of honor.

When Jamie pulled James to the side, Izabella quickly found Olivia and from the shade of crimson that rushed to her cheeks at the vampiress she determined that it was her who had interrupted her and James's kiss. The bright blush faded after a moment and uneasily she shifted on her feet. "I'm sorry for barging in like that, I should have knocked." To assure the young woman that all was well Izabella placed her hand on Olivia's shoulder and smiled.

A few more guests entered the foyer, from the looks of it they were members of the Calvary as well, though when she caught sight of a familiar face hidden away she headed in that direction. Lieutenant Waverly. Belle had met him on several occasions, the first being the officers dinner, the following times he was here at the Nicholls Estate riding with James, she had even invited him to lunch one day on her own estate. "Charlie!"

At hearing his name the young soldier turned and saw Belle. "Miss Brighton, it is good to see you again." Immediately he tipped the brim of the straw boater hat and brought her knuckles to his lips. She rolled her eyes at the display, causing Charlie and the men around him to chuckle.

"Ay, and you as well but how many times must a tell you to call me Izabella?" The lieutenant only smiled, the hand on her waist instantly told her that James was behind her, in reality she could smell him among the others, his scent was intoxicating and thoroughly unique. Though she was shocked when he leaned down and began whispering in her ear, the words were not scandalous in any sense but still she could not suppress the blush that rose to her cheeks and that closeness and with that Charlie slipped away to join the other officers with a knowing look.

"Is he really?" She raised her eyebrow and the Captain nodded before giving her a quick peck on the lips. Her attention went to Olivia and Jamie, while she was stepped lightly around the Major she knew him to be a good man. She thought Olivia and he would make a perfect match, while he was serious and grounded James's sister was vivacious and energetic. In a sense they were opposites but when together they exemplified the other's qualities, much like Adam and Eve, and tonight he had informed James that he would propose, just the thought made Izabella's heart flutter. She enjoyed seeing people in love, as for a long while she knew she could and would not ever have a true lover.

Her Captain had joined in on a conversation with Charlie, taking an opportune moment she pretended to make a fool of herself and carelessly bumped into the Major. He steadied her and did not scold her as he may have done when they first met. For the first time she could see that he seemed to be alive and not a machine designed only to work and serve. She could tell that the love was true and that made her smile. Quickly she made conversation as to not make the situation stroppy. "How is Topthorn, Jamie?"

"Magnificent. The finest horse I've ever had, Miss Brighton." Silence grew between the two until he looked closer at James and then to the petite woman at his side. "Sometimes I think he's too soft to be a soldier, but know that whatever he does he does unreservedly. Never doubt that he loves you." Her cheeks flushed with warmth at the Major's words.

The remainder of their conversation was light, small talk at best. When Olivia began to search the small crowd Jamie took his leave, she was not alone for long before James joined her. "I think they're about to cut the cake." He slipped his hand in hers and pulled her to the dining room for the festivities to truly begin. Into the first hours of the night the celebration continued, the ladies in attendance with the exception of Belle, gathered around to share pointless gossip, the men had taken to a lounge with glasses of brandy and cigars, leaving the vampiress to sneak back to the stables and retrieve her flask, now hidden in the folds of her skirt, stealing sips whenever could.

By the time the cakes platter empty most of the people had gone, only James's family remained with Jamie and Charlie leaned against the archway; Izabella sat back on the same Cabriole that James was on her knees tucked beneath her. "Open mine first!" Olivia demanded and subsequently he picked up the messily wrapped package that his sister had pointed too. He smiled at the gift before revealing it, it was a watch box and the glass insert in the lid had been etched to have his initials. The next box he chose was decidedly smaller and was not wrapped but simply tied up with a ribbon, a select variety of truffles and chocolates laid inside. He unwrapped other small trinkets and tokens that served no real purpose before coming to the last package on the farthest side of table.

Izabella watched as he picked up her present, before he even opened it or read the card he looked to her and smiled. The piece of paper looked minuscule in his hand, but carefully he unfolded it to reveal her slanted script.

 _To my dearest James,_

 _Keep the passion alive, continue what you love. Happy birthday, darling._

 _Yours for eternity,_

 _Izabella_

She could have sworn there were tears in his eyes when he untied the black twine and pulled back the brown parchment to reveal the sketchbook. His fingers traced over the engraving in the leather book and flipped through the crème colored pages. Sagaciously he sat the book aside and reached for the wooden box, a brilliant smile grew on his face when he looked at the contents.

By the time the grandfather clock had chimed midnight Jamie and Charlie had departed and the sisters had retired to their rooms but Izabella and James remained in the Cabriole, sitting closer together than they had before. "I cannot thank you enough, Belle." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. Flyaway pieces of fiery hair tickled his nose but he did not dare to laugh, she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her ear over his heart. At her touch she could it hear it speed up.

She looked up to him with golden eyes, as bright as the sun yet they solely belonged to the night. The Captain rested his hand atop one of her and squeezed it lightly. "What is the first thing you're going to draw?" Her voice was curious and sinking into deep thought for a moment James let his head loll back before looking down at the vampiress, the skin of his neck crinkled and rolled whenever he had to look down and she found it peculiarly charming.

"I was hoping it would be you." Her smile was angelic and by some miraculous way he swept her into his arms, carrying her petite form up the stairs leaving a single candle flickering in the window. "And I must say tonight would be brilliant to sketch you. The sun is gorgeous against your skin but it looks even more so in the light of the moon." James sat her back to her own feet and turned to the door, securing the lock with a definite click before he took to the large window, drawing the curtains back until the silvery light flooded the room. His back was turned so he did not see her begin to undress, the heavy outer layers and thinner shift pooled to the wooden floor.

"How does the artist wish the subject to pose?" He turned at her tempting question and sucked in a large breath. She was perfection in every way. Blue eyes met molten gold and with three steps he stood in front of her, his hair in a mess as the natural curls were close to untamable, his cheeks were flushed. James had meant to lift his hand to touch her cheek but in the moment he thought her to be ethereal, a goddess of sorts and he was far from worthy of her attention. Her hands were cold against his own when she put her fingers through his, making the gap between them close completely. Blood red lips were parted and at that he leaned down and pressed his to hers, thoughtlessly sighing into her mouth.

Eventually he gathered his senses once more and motioned to the bed. "Just lie on your side, like you're sleeping." From the corner desk he pulled the straight back chair over and gathered the new sketchbook and charcoals, his hands fumbled with the supplies and when he sat she reached over and placed her hand top his. "I've never done something like this Belle," she could see that the nervousness came from inexperience with his talent, as he had seen her in this state of undress multiple times.

"I have faith in the artist," she laid still, only blinking occasionally as she watched James move his eyes from her back to the piece of paper repeatedly. His wrists moved in calculated flicks, his fingers smudging the delicate lines to better capture the softness of her curves. Izabella had tried to converse but he reprimanded the action, afraid that it could distract him from capturing her perfection on paper.

The first hour passed quickly the second one more slowly, when he finished he sat looking at the piece, looking over the planes of light and dark, resembling the way the moon had touched her. When he was satisfied that there was nothing more he could have done he sat on the bed as well and showed her the likeness. The vampiress smiled and teased him, asking if he would post such a thing on his wall. Eventually Izabella kissed his cheek, pulling the suspenders down his shoulders and working the buttons of the shirt free as well.

James had learned over the months that it was not a shameful action to lie next to a woman, she had showed him century old things and now he pulled her against his chest. His skin was like liquid fire to her own. Hers was like polar ice pressing to him, he was almost afraid she would melt. But sleep took them slowly at first as they would still look at each other, already thinking the other to be asleep.

The sun was already breaking through clouds when James felt Izabella curl into him like a child, she was shaking, and her once calm breathing was rapid and unsteady. He shook her away, shifting his weight until it hovered over her. "Belle? What is it?" His voice was gentle enough but her head throbbed and her fangs extended painfully. She shook her head and placed her hands on the Captain's shoulders for reassurance that she was unharmed, she was fine.

"I need to find Adam." She breathed and repeated the same words over to herself twice, James's brows furrowed in worry and confusion but still he rested his hand on her cheek. Izabella offered a better reason but still could not deliver a full explanation behind her startled and somewhat panicked actions. "I had a dream about Eve's little sister," the vampiress paused and frowned, almost with revulsion and definitely with loathing. "... Ava."


	14. 13

_"And the sunlight clasps the earth,_

 _And the moonbeams kiss the sea -_

 _What are all these kissings worth_

 _If thou kiss not me?" -Percy Shelley_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; September 5, 1913_.

Izabella had confronted Adam and confessed her dream about the wayward vampire and her suspicions were proven correct when he had claimed to have a similar dream, nearly identical. When that fact was established she then knew that it was inevitable, soon Ava would arrive at her home, hungry and bothersome as Eve had shown no intention of leaving Tangier yet. Ava was the picturesque definition of carefree and reckless, she had yet to tame herself and indulged herself with the blood of anyone and everyone, not giving a second thought when she sank her teeth into a person's jugular.

Adam had always joked that it would be blood poisoning that killed the younger vampire and after seeing some of the people she feed from Izabella suspected that soon his theory of her demise would prove itself and become fact. Belle had never truly wished ill actions on a person but at the mention of Ava her blood boiled and the thoughts of driving a stake into her chest was entirely too enticing.

"What do we do when she gets here? Our supply is low, Adam. Her presences threatens our precarious presence in London." He frowned and laid back on the bed, she knew that he was bugged by the youngest vampire in their small group. The last time she had shown up to the Brighton Estate she did so with a bounty on her head and a pack of more lethal and primal vampires in pursuit of her. Izabella was foolish enough to allow her stay at Eve's persuasion and Adam had concocted all sorts of potions that would ward any others away. The tension constantly ran high and regardless of what the eldest thought Belle forced Ava from her house after killing one of her maids, unable to control herself and the killer thirst. He turned and look at her, his expression deadpan.

"We could kill her if you wanted, there is a brilliant spot at the creek we used to go to where the body could be disposed. It would look natural." She wanted proof that Adam was joking lest she agree to the plan but his voice was level, there was no sign of amusement or jest on his features. Eve would never forgive them for killing Ava, well perhaps it would take several centuries but she wanted no part in such a plot. Groaning she sat up and looked at the dusty drapes that hung in front of the windows. For safety purposes she had sent her entire work staff away for the week, a retreat of sorts, and after vaguely explaining to James who Ava was and her tendencies he had agreed to not call upon her at her own house, if she could, she would take leave and go to him.

A hand settled on her back, rubbing circles, calmly. Adam pulled her back as it was still light outside and unlike her, Ava was still nocturnal, she would need her rest and sanity to deal with the other vampiress without killing her. He was tracing script on her palm, up her forearm, trying to lull her to sleep. It did not work, and despite being tired Adam remained awake as well, gently stroking her hair and cheek, tracing over the curve of her lips. It took over an hour for Izabella to shut her eyes and as she had not moved and her breathing had changed Adam took that moment to find more blood. He could feel Ava's presence growing nearer.

It was the sound of her cast iron door knocker being slammed against the wooden door that caused her to wake. It was dark out, as it was already ten o'clock and to her dismay she woke alone. Adam was not with her, nor could she feel his presence in her home. Tying the worn floral printed dressing gown at her waist, she walked down the stairs leisurely, in no hurry to see who was on the other side of the door, because she already knew.

Izabella pulled the door open, the wind howled and rain was pouring, not even seeing the young vampire soaked and pale could elicit an ounce of compassion. She was quick when she yanked Ava into the house and even quicker when she slammed the door and seized the other vampiress by the neck, pushing her against the foyer wall, lifting her arm until her feet dangled. "What the ever-loving fuck are you doing at my house, Ava?" Izabella did not give her time to answer as her grip on the girls neck tightened. "I swear if you have come with people hunting you I'll do their job for them." When Ava had begun to struggle Belle released her, letting her slide to the floor grasping at her neck, erupting into a melodramatic fit of coughing and hoped that Eve would soon come.

"Hello to you to Izabella." The cheerful voice was a rasp but Belle only grimaced and turned to see Adam standing in the foyer as well, his hair was damp, as was the fading leather jacket he insisted upon wearing. Ava looked up with a crooked smile, wringing out her hair. "And if it isn't my favorite brother-in-law." Her clothing was sodden and water dripped down on the polished hardwood floor as she pushed herself up to stand and walked to Adam, holding up her gloved hands, silently asking him to remove them for her. Adam rolled his eyes and moved to stand by Belle. The young vampire was more than unsettled that Eve was not there as well, it would leave her at the mercy of two people she knew loathed her existence.

"You did not answer Izabella, why are here Ava?" Izabella could see the vein at his temple throbbing, the muscles in his jaw clenched tightly with unbridled anger as he gritted out the words. She had passed a threshold without asking to enter knowing that she was unwelcomed, breaking one of the oldest customs he could remember. Had he his way he would have struck her dead in that moment. His hands curled into loose fists at his sides, the feel of the hard container in his pocket reminded him of the single flask they would allow Ava to have.

"I got bored in France," she pouted and both Adam and Belle scoffed at the childish display, "I was in town and I...I smell blood and I'm hungry. I haven't drank in days." Izabella scowled, her arms crossed as an impatient mother would do dealing with a petulant child, only she would gladly toss Ava out the door and not feel a damn thing. Adam pulled out a flask. A look of pungent distaste encompassed harsh and grim features as he tossed the flask to Ava. Her greedy gloved hands quickly unscrewed the lid tipping the container up to her mouth.

"That is all you get for your brief stay." He ground out before gripping onto Ava's arm contemptuously and dragging her to the farthest away room on the west wing of the house. Izabella could hear their arguing and Adam's choice words, she waited at the top of the stairs cringing when one of the three century old doors slammed shut, echoing throughout the house. Despite wanting to wait until Adam could join her she entered her room and pulled back the covers after gathering a handful of books to keep herself occupied.

The vampire slipped into her room quietly, his violin in hand, though he sat that on the settee and sat a canister of blood aside on the nightstand. After a moment of silence Belle looked up from her open book, searching his features and body language. Glancing at the words on the open page he determined she was reading A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Izabella sighed and closed the fading leather bound cover. "Why so generous?"

Adam slid onto the bed, folding his hands behind his head with a ridiculously pleased smile toying at his lips that was unbecoming when Ava was near. "Because that blood, though it is O Negative, is from an anemic who is severely deprived of other nutrients. If we are lucky it should put her in a catatonic state for a day. Several days if she drinks it all at once, which she will." Izabella's squeal of delight was shocking but before she could calm her excitement she had leaned over and kissed Adam, out of sheer habit she supposed, but it was like in the past. Deep and burning with a passion that never seemed to die or flicker.

The hand he placed on her cheek was gentle, but despite how lovely he believed her kiss and taste was the vampire pushed her away. With her unsteady breathing she sat back away from him and smiled delightedly. "You, my dear Adam, are a bloody genius." Her laugh was vivacious and in its own unique way haunting. It had been years since he had heard her laugh like that, but he knew from the times he saw her and James together that she was constantly like that. After two centuries she had reason to feel alive again, to survive. "How are your experiments coming along?" She raised her eyebrow and quickly looked away, fiddling with the ends of her hair.

"Well enough, though I am thinking about looking further into Tesla's studies and ideas." Adam picked up the violin and rested it partially on his shoulder, his fingers deftly plucking at the strings for tonality before he lifted the bow. "Does the lady have a request?"

"I do love Bach, if you would indulge me with one of his pieces." A wry smile crossed his lips before he began, firstly playing a short scale which she could tell by sound alone was in a minor key and then he began playing. It was magic, to Izabella, to see this ageless being playing. She admired the way his fingers found the right strings and fingerings, the fluidity of the bow in his right hand. Izabella sighed, thinking his hands to be amazing with the talent they held. The piece moved, swelling and shrinking like the sea, at the thought her expression grew staid.

She had not left London since the American Civil War, she remained here, on her estate, still wishing to see more of the world before it was destroyed, before the natural beauty was diminished. But now she had James, and oh how wonderful he was. Her motions were didactic when she laid back, absently looking at the ceiling, and not fully paying attention to the composition that Adam was playing for her.

Izabella leaned closer to Adam, she could smell the subtle hints of cinnamon that seemed to come naturally to him, as well as clove and rosin. It was a change from James's scent of lavender and saddle wax, he always had a tinge of leather about him as well as brandy though he never seemed to drink any. They were decidedly different but she missed the floral notes even though she laid her head on Adam's stomach. She knew the piece would be drawing to a close and when it had ended he sat the instrument aside and busied himself with her uncontrollable curls.

After a long silence she propped her chin up on his chest revealing gold eyes that were distant and filled with longing. "Do you think it would be wise if I had James over tomorrow?"

Adam forced one side of his lips to curl up in an insincere smile, his fingers tracing her cheek. "During the day it would be perfectly safe, though you know how Ava is. If you chose to go to him I will watch over the little prat while you are away." She knew he was right and though she would love to see James sooner than later Izabella decided it best if she stayed and helped Adam with the young and untamable vampire, lest she get out and create havoc which would draw unwanted attention.

Mindlessly she traced over his skin and too his annoyance she fiddled with light dusting of hair on his chest. But still he enjoyed her attention and the physical contact was comforting. "We have to get her out of here as soon as possible, Adam." The vampire sat up, shifting so that Belle's head rested in his lap whilst he poured their crystalline glasses with blood.

"Agreed." He noted, smirking as she offered him her mouth. Adam brought the glass to her lips and tipped the cooled contents back, his breath caught when her expression changed to that of ecstasy. He watched her neck move as she swallowed and the way her pupils dilated until there was nothing but a golden ring surrounding black holes, it drove him to madness to know that he could not have her. Without further ado he drank as well, placing both glasses back to the night table and forced himself not to give into the temptation.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; September 14, 1913_.

It took a little over a week, well four days as the tainted blood had rendered her unresponsive for three before Adam had been annoyed to the point where he shoved Ava out of the door, tossing her bag out as well. He turned and locked the doors, Izabella had been standing at the top of the staircase wrapped in her dressing rode, laughing at the look of exasperation he wore. As he climbed the stairs that look faded into something that Belle would have described as elation. It was the early morning hours, the sun had not yet risen leaving the expatriated vampire plenty of time to vacate herself from the property and even London if she was able to hail a driver or coachman.

Izabella reveled in the feeling of having her house back, she would need to send word to her staff and perhaps if she bathed and slept for a few hours she would venture to the Nicholls Estate. She had already started running a tub of water when Adam came in with their small glasses filled with blood, even though they had already drank for that evening. She suspected it to be based in celebration, for ridding herself of Ava was definitely a reason to celebrate.

She settled into the tub, the water lapping at the copper edges, before taking the proffered glass. As per usual the vampire seated himself beside the tub, his head resting against the curled side. "When is the last time you washed that mop you call hair?" She laughed when he turned and scowled. "The water will not hurt you, dearest. You will not melt." Izabella downed the crimson fluid and set the glass aside.

"I know that." He snapped, crossing his arms like a scolded child.

It had to have been the bloodlust and euphoric high that caused her to drag him into the tub, water splashed out onto the tiled floor and the look Adam gave her was murderous as his clothing was now soaked. But regardless he shrugged off the garments and caved into relaxation, resting his head against her chest while she ran her fingers through his hair, gently scraping her nails against his scalp. "See Adam, a bath every century will not kill you." Time was lost until the sun began breaking through the windows. Scrambling away before the light could reach him Adam glared as Izabella leisurely removed herself from the water and wrapped a towel around her body, basking in the light.

The vampiress drew the curtains in her room close and before she could tell Adam that it was done he was already curled up in her bed. Rolling her eyes, Belle tossed a sheet over him as he still had not dressed. She on the other hand readied herself for the day, for she would need to retrieve her staff and go to the Nicholls Estate. She rode by noon, firstly stopping at a lavish hotel of sorts in the busy streets of London to see her house staff. Tutti was more than relieved to see her lady well and gladly retrieved the others, their week long reprieve was over.

She arrived at the Nicholls Estate to find James sitting under the large tree, an open book resting on his khaki clad thigh. He stood and stepped forward, offering to lead her horse to the stables. The Captain took the reins from her dusty leather gloves and guided Glaurung to the empty stall next to Bill. Izabella slipped from the saddle and into his arms. He smiled and reached for her gloved hands, silently pulling off the obstacles and bringing her cold palms to his lips.

Together they sat under the tree, the warm summer sun beating down on the green leaves, the light breeze ruffled grass but more so caused James's loose flaxen curl to grow even wilder. The smell of a distant storm lingered in the air. James did not ask many questions about Ava, he was honestly frightened to know what the woman was like if only her name could put Izabella in a foul mood. Her tone was tart and her words clipped at the few questions. Though when he reopened the book to the marked page Izabella rested her head on his shoulder.

She recognized the book to be a collection of poems from various poets and authors, though the one he had opened the page up to was written by Marlowe. Izabella had met the man only a handful of times, but the things he spoke of and wrote of reeked of the past and enlightenment, Eve had taken a keen liking to him, Adam on the other hand preferred to be reclusive, hiding away for decades at a time when he and Eve were apart. The next page had a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a man she had known fairly well at the turn of the eighteenth century and the words printed on the page formed her favorite poem by him. The silence that consumed the two was comfortable as they both read the poems until James sighed and turned his head, catching her lips with his own.

"How have you ever read any of John Keats' poems?" Izabella found herself tracing the lines and creases that were in the Captain's palm, his face scrunched up as he contemplated the name, not remembering it in the book he had just closed or at any other time for that matter. He did not have to respond when Izabella took his hands within hers. She always held great admiration for hands, and his were a miracle that she could watch for hours. Her voice was low when she began speaking, her eyes alight with passion. "There is one poem titled The Living Hand, I love it dearly. I have for nearly a century."

James felt like he was rooted in place, his eyes fixed on her, a tinge of pink rushed to his cheeks at the prospect of being caught staring so blatantly at Belle, his eyes fell to their hands. "Would you do me the honor of reciting this poem to me, darling?" The vampiress leaned forward and complacently kissed the corner of his thin lips.

"This living hand, now warm and capable

Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold

And in the icy silence of the tomb,

So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights

That thou would wish thine own heart dry of blood

So in my veins red life might stream again,

And thou be conscience-calm'd-see here it is-

I hold it towards you."

James replayed the words, thinking over their meaning, "I must admit, that is rather good." James had the brief beginnings of a smile before it faded and his eyes grew serious. "Though it sounds like something your dear friend would have written."

Izabella tittered at the proposal. "Adam is not poetic, Eve is. Adam, he -he. I'm afraid I do not even know where to begin with that man." She shook her head at all the fond memories before looking up from her hands to James. There was a quote on her tongue she smiled as it would fit the vampire perfectly. "What a piece of work is a man?"


	15. 14

_"We have always been equals. Love makes people so."_

 _Market Harborough, Leicestershire; October 11, 1913_.

There was to be a harvest moon tonight and as Belle had done for decades she would attend the Harvest Festival in Market Harborough, a small town whose residents were mainly farmers and craftsmen. The only difference was that James was accompanying her on the three hour ride to the market place. Glaurung and Scatha pulled a short cart along the uneven dirt and cobble path. The air was still warm, the lingering of a summer that was reluctant to leave but the nip and chill of autumn was overbearing. The road was covered with overhead branches, the leaves painted warm hues of gold, red and orange before the blue sky.

James looked to his sides at the peaceful forest and took wayward glances at each creek and stream passed. "I must admit that I have never ventured this far on my own leisure." Izabella shook her head at the mention as she had been across the country, to small villages and other cities. In the early nineteenth century she found herself exploring the Scottish lochs. Later the vampiress ventured to America and across the mainland of Europe, immersing herself in the cultures of the world and in their arts. Regardless of the fact that she could live anywhere in the world she desired, Izabella returned to her home, to London, for there was something calling her there, and so she remained.

"This is a wonderful country my dear, James, I only wish you could see it all and what it can offer." She rested a gloved hand atop his, he had found that when she was not in a place in which she was fully comfortable she always wore gloves. It was just one of the precarious little details he had noticed about her. He also noted that when she walked her right foot seemed to want to point inward and that there was a scar on the inside of her ankle. Whenever she laughed, wholeheartedly, at the corner of her youthful eyes wrinkles would form and when she slept sometimes she would murmur words without consciously realizing what was being spoken, it was never anything serious but sometimes if the Captain was awake he could not help but smile at her murmurings.

As his mind was solely focused on her it drew him back to what she was, a creature of night, though she was positively lovely in every aspect. "If you do not mind such a question, will the harvest moon affect you differently?" His grip tightened on the reins as in the distance another horse and carriage came into view, traveling in the opposite direction.

"James, I am a vampire not a werewolf." He gave her a smile that seemed to ridicule himself for such a question but it remained sincere at the same time. Izabella leaned over on the seat and quickly kissed his cheek, laughing softly at the light shade of pink that rose to his face and neck. The conversation that remained followed much along the same lines as he was still very curious about vampires, and about the lady that held his heart in her delicate hands.

Izabella smiled when the steeple from the church and Old Grammar School came into view signaling that they had arrived and had done so before noon. The main street had been lined with vendors, and many tables were set up, each from a different farm or family. The horse and buggy had been parked in an open field, their reins tied to a stake among the others that had come for the festival. And in the area opposite of the field children and adults alike had gathered to play cricket. James offered the crook of his arm for Belle to take and she did, but at seeing something to catch his attention he smiled, kissing her cheek before running off into the growing crowd.

The vampiress picked up an apple and examined the spotless skin that was the same shade as blood almost, the fruit was firm and fragrant. Her own apples were not ready to be harvested, but they would not make a good wine or brandy. "James!" Izabella scolded the Captain when his arms wrapped around her waist, nearly scaring her from her skin. The old couple running one of the booths of fresh produce looked at her and James with an amused smile. "How much for a bushel of Jonagolds?"

"Two guineas ought to do it." The woman with grey hair smiled as her husband selected an empty woven basket and began filling it with the red apples. Belle nodded and fished out three coins from her purse. She handed them to the woman with a warm smile and firm hand, the look in her golden eyes said they would keep the extra payment. James took the basket and followed Izabella's lead back to the buggy, where he placed the heavy bushel.

"What are you going to do with a whole bushel of apples?" James took the basket and followed Izabella's lead back to the buggy, where he placed the heavy bushel. She pursed her lips and picked two of the smaller apples from the top of the selection, wiped them both off with the edge of her cloak and tossed one to James.

"I had the last of my apple brandy some time ago and I should like to try my hand in making it as I do not see myself going to France anytime soon." Belle sunk her teeth into red flesh, the crisp juice trickled down her chin, the combination of the sweet and tart notes was divine and she could only imagine the quality brew they would create. The lady headed back into the streets, immersing herself in the crowd with a bright smile as she went about, purchasing fresh vegetables and fruits.

James wore a constant smile, even when Izabella asked for him to carry things. That was another thing he had noticed of her, she was independent and stubborn, rarely asking for any help with things that would create a heavy load. While shopping with her, he realized as well that she always gave more than the calculated total, a very generous notion. Two more trips back to the cart were made before they walked back to the market for a final time.

The Captain had left Belle for only a moment with the intention of finding the vampiress a birthday present. Looking at the tables filled with antiques and trinkets, he picked up a ring. It looked to be gold, but was tarnished as if it were silver, gently he buffed away the grim on a section. The man at the booth watched the gentleman closely before standing and approaching the potential buyer. "Aye, that'll be rose gold yer looking at there." James nodded and looked at the cushion cut diamond and how it shined in the light, large enough to catch the eye but not overdone or ostentatious.

He was not sure if it would fit Izabella's fingers as they were delicate and slim, but for a ring as perfect as that one he would take the chance. "How much does a piece like this cost?" James handed the ring back to the man for a better appraisal.

"For a young man such as yerself, ten guineas and consider it yours." The exchange was done, James slipped the ring into the interior of his coat and continued looking over the tables in search of a gift.

Izabella had lifted a pocket watch from one of the table. The surface engraved with intricate scrollwork forming flowers and leaves. Testing the weight in her hand she looked back down at the piece.

"Made by Edward Prior, 1816, quartz and stainless steel." The booth-worker paused in the transaction with another customer and looked on in astonishment at Belle.

"That's right Miss. Quite an eye you have there." With a crooked smile he pocketed the money and turned his attention back to the scarlet haired woman, from beneath the hood of her cloak he could see that she was pale and while her face was gentle her gold eyes reeked of unspoken danger. Belle looked over her shoulder to see James looking at wooden crafts and back down to the beautifully crafted watch.

"How much?" She raised her brow and pulled her small leather coin pouch out. The man took the watch and opened the lid, the arms had not worked since he had found the watch and the jewelers had feared that taking apart the crafted piece would only make it more difficult to restore to working condition. He held out pocket watch, his hand frail and withering but he shook his head.

"The gears are a bit rusty and it doesn't keep the time, it's more of a piece of rubbish than anything. You would be doing me a favour by taking it for no charge." Izabella nodded and dropped the watch into her coin purse but despite the man telling her it did not come with a price she fished out one pound and five shillings, in truth she was probably paying more for the broken watch than what the original owner had given purchasing it as new.

"I will not take it free of charge, good sir." The man graciously smiled and took the coin, but not before stating his thanks over and over. She bid him good day and joined James, immediately noticing the parchment wrapped package tucked under his arm. "And what might that be, Captain Nicholls?"

He laughed quietly. "It is a gift for Olivia." Lie. But Belle did not notice and she simply smiled. What was in the parchment was a jewelry box, just larger than the size of one of his hands and shaped like a heart. The detailing in bronze or gold was delicate and grandiose. It screamed it was from the Baroque era, but all the Captain knew it that it was fitting for Izabella. The lid was glass and the bottom was lined with red silk, or maybe it was velvet. The contents was a simple gold necklace with an amethyst stone.

It was four in the afternoon and she could feel what seemed to be the first frost in the air, it would come early this year. James took the reins in hand and steered the horses onward. Back to London. She pestered the Captain about the gift, wanting to know what it was and if it was a gift as Olivia and Jamie had now made their engagement well known. Seeing that as a way to stop her snooping he said yes.

"I saw you purchasing something as well, do you care to share?" He teased, he had only caught a glimpse over his shoulder as she handed the vendor payment. The vampiress rolled her eyes and moved closer to the Captain on the wooden seat.

"It was nothing really, I thought Adam would love to tinker with it. As I would rather him mess with this than take apart my gramophone again." They both shared mirthful laughter at the thought. Adam had claimed that the gramophone was broken and then proceeded to disassemble it. Half an hour later screws were flying everywhere. Adam though actually put it back together and improved it. It was one of the many traits she admired about him.

James looked down and took a gloved hand within his, holding it tightly before kissing the soft covering on her knuckles. "The sun will be setting soon." He nodded and looked up to see that the sun had moved behind the trees and cast long shadows upon the road. Silence consumed them until they came to her drive, the only light was that provided by the full moon. "Will you stay for supper? Kaylein was making a roast." Her voice was quiet, her eyes glued to sky, where she could see the stars and the galaxies above. It was indescribable and utter perfection, yet only she could see it as it was.

"How can I say no?" James's words took a long moment to register before she give a beguiling smile. By the time everything had been unloaded from the cart a soft piece was being played on the piano. It was haunting, the sound of one heart yearning for another. Izabella stopped in the foyer and looked towards the room where Adam was. He was changing, slowly, but the immortal soul was not as lively as before. He worried for the world and humanity though he would never show it and in turn Izabella worried for him. James took her hand, drawing her from thoughts and back to him. The Captain pulled one of the gloves off and then the other, his hands cupped her cheeks and with serenity surrounding them he kissed her forehead.

Dinner passed, the music had stopped but before retiring for the night she took the old pocket watch from her purse and carried it down to Adam. He sat hunched over the piano, a viola and lute next to him, but he was studiously scribbling down words on a piece of paper. He did not stir as she entered the room and taking the moment to her advantage she walked behind him, propping her chin on the top of his head. Her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders.

"Hello, Adam, my sweet vampire." She felt his chest begin to rumble with a low mirthful laugh and he sat the pen down, leaning his head back into her chest.

"You only ever call me that when you want something, Izabella." With ease he slipped away from her and stood. She pushed forward a vial of blood for him to take and gratefully he did, though he just tucked it in the pocket of his robe. "I know you did not leave your darling Captain to mother me." The vampiress rolled her eyes and unclenched her hand, letting him see the pocket watch that laid flat within her palm.

"It doesn't work anymore, but I knew you could fix it as you so love to tinker." He took the watch and opened the lid, his thumb running over the smooth quartz and engraved metal. By the coy smirk that tugged at his lips, Belle knew he could fix it with ease.

"Ah, but this comes at a price, sweet Belle." His voice was teasing as he stepped closer to her so that he looked down upon the angelic face and she was forced to look up at him. It was something he knew she loathed.

"And what might that be?" She inquired.

"A kiss." He responded, clearly amused by the look that crossed her face with the way her nose scrunched up and her lips pursed.

"Absolutely not." She was quick to reply but Adam looked on, knowing that she would quickly cave to such a simple and innocent request. "Oh alright you terrible man. One kiss." Her laugh was breathy and when Adam returned to the stool before the piano she leaned down and pressed her lips to the corner of his. He had meant to pull her closer and truly receive one kiss, not a small peck but before he could do such a thing she was gone.

James stood in front of the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked over the countryside alight by the harvest moon. Izabella stood in the doorway for a moment, admiring him, but she almost laughed at how his hair had become. The flaxen hair that she thought to be in a constant state of upkeep had grown and was filled with more curls that she could have ever imagined. Her feet did not make a sound as she walked across the wooden floor to stand next to him, yet when he shifted on his feet the boards creaked. And when the candles that were lit flickered it was as if the house was breathing, that it was alive.

He brought his fingers to trace over her cheek, she leant into his touch with a contented sigh, but Adam was playing the piano once more, the somber tone reminded her that this, what she had before her right now, would not last. It was all doomed to end eventually. She was swept off her feet only a moment before the Captain laid her back on the bed. Izabella sat upright and picked at the skin of her palm. "Have you ever thought about marriage? The smaller things about it, the venue, whether you would wear a waistcoat or a cummerbund? A bowtie or cravat?" James looked at her and quickly pulled her into his chest, his eyes straying to the coat that was draped over the settee that held a ring. She heard his heart speed up.

"I always thought if I married it would be in a church, but I do not know now. Though it would hardly matter so long as my bride was there." Gold irises gazed up at him, a soft and serene smile on her lips. James began running his fingers through her hair, inhaling the sweet scent that lingered. "As for what I would wear?" He chuckled, thinking of how much his sisters would tease him speaking of such things if they knew. "I've always preferred a tailored waistcoat and bowties are classic."

Belle lifted her head and propped her chin up near his clavicle. "I always dreamed of marrying a prince, being wed in a castle where a golden chariot would take us away. But dreams rarely do come true." He smiled, thinking of the fantasies his sisters had that were much the same, but it faded. "I've seen the world, the horrors it contains. I've found that happy endings do not exist on this Earth." He knew there was truth in the words she spoke, but he was happy and if he should be as lucky as to die in her arms then he would have a happy ending. James felt his chest tighten, if he could wait until August eighteenth to propose he would, as that was the day they had first shared those three little words.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; October 31, 1913._

Much to Adam's loathing Izabella hovered over him while he deconstructed the old pocket watch. That may have been an overstatement, he enjoyed her company and presence though while experimenting and tinkering he preferred solitude but he could not tell her to leave him when she wore a near constant smile that seemed to enchant him. He worked by the moonlight and the dull light provided by a humming electrical lamp. With a set of jeweler's tools he picked apart the layers.

"You are insufferable, I hope you know that." His voice lacked emotion and that was how she could easily tell that he was not serious. Belle grinned, propping her head on folded hands at the end of his workbench. She had decided to let Adam turn one of the many spare rooms in her house into a lab to perform all the alchemy his heart desired, but only if he did not do anything that could possible end in the destruction of her home. He had the gleeful expression of a young boy at her offer and over the course of weeks he had brought more equipment and tools. To anyone else's eyes it appeared to be a mess of clutter and chaos but the vampire knew where every little thing was placed.

"Yes, you have told me that for a century. Yet you still stay." Her words were teasing and she spoke them with a singsong voice. He rolled his eyes and began brushing the rust off one of the small gears. The process was tedious with small pieces that had to be replaced and rebuilt but by the end of the night Adam presented the pocket watch to Izabella, now completely functional and polished so it looked to be new.

"I'm afraid I require further payment though, dear Belle." She gave him a disbelieving look as she placed the watch and chain into a small box. The mischief that once constantly gleamed in his eyes returned and in that moment she saw the vampire she had met two centuries ago. Belle stood and patted his shoulder before kissing his cheek.

"And what do you want now?" The vampiress asked, trying her absolute best to sound annoyed and exasperated. Adam's lips twitched. It was moments like this that made the overwhelming monachopsis stand out even further. No matter how much time passed they would not belong, the feeling was always persistent but around each other and the ones they loved it faded. The vampire leaned back into Belle but quickly remembered that she had asked him a question.

"More blood." He handed her the empty crystalline glass and she scoffed, snatching it away from his nimble fingers.

"I will not be your waitress, Adam, you can come up with me." The sound he made was indistinguishable, but she was already walking away. The chair scrapped against the wooden floor and he stood; turning the lamp off and extinguishing the candles before following along. He mumbled various curses below his breath, condemning the woman to some ill-wished horror that would never happen. He could curse her name all he wished and it would never change the fact that she was very dear to him.


	16. 15

_The Brighton Estate, London; November 13, 1913_.

Izabella woke at first light. It was not unusual, per se, for her to arise so early, but at her movement the warm arm draped over her stomach fell away. Disturbing the man whom this arm was attached to. James made a laughable noise caught between a snort and a whine, it was odd to hear such a sound come from the Captain and she could not help but smile. She rolled back onto her side, her eyes tracing over the features that were still completely at ease and rest. Tentatively she brushed back the golden curls that had fallen astray during sleep, but he stirred and seconds later sleep ridden blue eyes were focused on her and nothing else.

"Happy Birthday." His voice was dry and rough, a very noticeable difference from the usual smooth and eloquent voice. Izabella looked at him with adoration and touched his cheek with the back of her hand. After living for two hundred and twenty-three years it truly felt like just another day. She did not really know how to respond with anything but a smile, soft and gentle. Indeed it would be a very happy birthday with her Captain present. A warm hand encased her own.

Breakfast passed with a comfortable silence, there would be plenty of time to talk during the small party being held tonight, but silence between them was precious. James sat the empty serving tray on the table in the corner and Izabella stood, her movements were nimble and agile, like those of a feline. Scarlet curls fell like fiery waves cascading down the pale mountain of her back. The Captain looked over his shoulder at her form, her skin was painted with freckles and though they were by definition imperfections, it made her perfect, it made her real.

The vampiress adjusted the thin material of a worn brassiere before pulling a woolen tunic overhead. James had already dressed as she adjusted the belt on the pair of stone grey jodhpurs. It was a signal that she was intent on working with her horses, he had learned. Only if an occasion or surprise called for it would she wear a dress while riding. His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her back into his chest. For a moment they swayed as if dancing, but there was no music and no coordination with their movements. Belle freed herself of his strong arms and turned so that her hands rested on his shoulders. "Ride with me, today?"

His hands rested lightly on her hips as he nodded before speaking. "Of course." Tutti bid them away with a large smile and like a mother she had insisted that Belle and James wear coats and scarves as the weather had turned frigid in a short amount of time.

"Would you like Scatha or Glaurung?" Both horses' ears perked up at the mention of their names. The eldest of the two stamped at the stable door until James extended the beast a sugar cube.

"I think Glaurung has chosen you, Captain Nicholls." Izabella brought a gloved hand to cover her lips lest she begin laughing at the horse and James. He could only smile as he brought a saddle to sit on the horse's back. Belle readied Scatha, she was jumpy and easily frightened when someone had first brought her into Belle's care. Only within the past two months did she even dare try to ride the mare, but since she had grown accustomed to holding the bit between her teeth and wearing a saddle. The two mounted simultaneously, the horses' hooves crunched on the frost encrusted grass in the pasture in an inconsistent rhythm.

James looked at the grey clouds and following his actions Belle did as well. "Nimbostratus clouds. I can feel the first snow in the air." Her cheeks had already turned pink from the nipping wind but at feeling how antsy Scatha was beneath her she turned to look at James. "Race to the orchard?" His smile was wide as he brought Glaurung to stand beside Belle and her mount.

She was the first to move, kicking the appaloosa into a fast canter and then into a full on gallop. The hood of her cloak fell away and the train flared out behind her. James was struck with awe but was quick to end his hesitation and bring his horse to almost fall in step with Izabella's own horse. Her heart beat in sync with the fall of hooves but she did not dare to look back. She only glanced away from the target when from the corner of her eyes she saw the palomino steed creeping up, lessening her lead.

They crossed the first pair of trees at the same time but continued on until Izabella had nearly ran the horse into her garden, though she claimed victory much to the Captain's astonishment. "With skills like that I might daresay you could out ride every member in my regiment." The vampiress laughed, shaking her head at the compliment and at the two horses as they nudged at each other's shoulder.

Izabella and James hardly spoke while on the horses, though they each observed. She had noticed that he sat at the back of the saddle and that his right hand held the reins tighter than the left. James noted that Izabella constantly praised the animal she rode, her form was precarious and one that spoke of experience. Her back was straight and though Scatha was young and antsy her grip on the reins was never tight, but slackened. The Captain noticed that the relationship she had with the animals was one of trust.

The two only became aware of the time when Tutti called them in to prepare for the evening's dinner. Even before entering the foyer Izabella could smell the sweet tarts and pastries that they had made and above that was the warm smell of honeyed ham. Her mouth watered at the scent. James lifted her into his arms without warning, her eyes went wide with panic at first. "You must be freezing, darling, perhaps a hot bath will rid you of this chill." She rolled her eyes at his words and toyed with the collar of his shirt.

"By now you should know that I am always cold, James. Or is this a poor attempt of suggesting we bathe together?" She had never seen his bright eyes shine with such mischief and life than they did in that moment. Belle told herself that she would make it an objective to see James with this look in his eyes more often.

"Perhaps it is." He answered, a wry smile playing at the corner of his thin lips. She laughed as he carried her to the bathroom and upon setting her back to her own feet, turned the tap so hot water filled the copper tub.

They had an hour to prepare before guests would arrive. Only a handful of people were invited. She knew Adam to be lurking around the house though whether he would show his face in the presence of other guests was unknown. Izabella looked in the mirror of her vanity to see James adjusting the sleeves of the fresh dress shirt but when he caught her gaze she looked away, a flush of color appearing on her cheeks as she continued to plait her hair. When finished she slipped out of her dressing gown and into her choice dress of the evening. "Will you tie me up, James?"

The Captain stepped forward, his breath still hitched at the sight of any of her skin exposed to him like this. Her dress was a toss between Edwardian and Victorian styles but regardless of her many talents she had yet to find a way to tie a corset on her own. Gold laces gaped open, crisscrossing the pale flesh that was beneath. Izabella could not take her eye off their reflection as his fingers brushed over her spine and his warm breath susurrated over the nape of her neck and curve of her shoulder. Deftly he pulled and tugged at the strings, worrying that they were too tight but if he hesitated she assured him that they still needed to be snugger and he complied.

Strong arms snaked around her waist and for some time she leaned back into him but upon seeing the time she hurriedly pulled him from the room and down the stairs as it was time for the gathering to begin. Jamie and Olivia arrived first with James's father as well, Charlie was the next to file into her home followed by Katherine whom was once again without her husband. James's had kissed her cheek before going to speak to his father and the others for a moment.

Izabella quickly pulled Olivia to the side as Jamie and James had taken up a light conversation with Charlie and George, subsequently Katherine followed the two as well. "Have you decided on a date?" The lady of the house grinned, looking at the gold engagement ring that rested on the girl's finger and her giddy expression.

"I was thinking April." Her green eyes seemed to shine with excitement, the anticipation was palpable in the atmosphere. Katherine shook her head, undoubtedly remembering the days and months before her own wedding. Belle cast a wayward glance to where the men stood chatting and was struck with a rare moment as Jamie was laughing at something James had said. The Major never laughed.

"April is a lovely month." The vampiress extended her hand to rest on the girl's shoulder, a timid smile on her lips as she recalled all the things that had happened in April to herself. The most recent even worth remembering was that was when she first set eyes on the man she now wholeheartedly loved.

"Is that not when you met our brother, Izabella?" It was Katherine who chimed in with the question, her tone was clearly joshing as she raised a glass of wine to her lips.

Izabella adverted her gaze to James, who looked up to catch her eye. She quickly looked away trying to the torrid blush that was forming on her cheeks. "Indeed it is, but even before then the month was still lovely." Their conversation carried on until the chatter was broken by the soft sounds of a piano playing. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. Adam. She had heard this song before, it was not one by a famous composer, but was one of his own compositions. He had written it decades ago and devoted it to her.

The silence among the guest grew heavy as they listened to the piece with rapt attention. The room from which Adam was playing was closed off as it was littered with his instruments. The floor, by this point, was probably covered with crumpled pieces of paper as he tried to transcribe what he wanted. James had rejoined Izabella, his hand slipping into hers. When the composition ended everyone except for Belle and her Captain sought out the pianist that had been able to play such a song but she stood steadfast in front of the door to the room. "Please, he is a very dear friend of mine but he is also very reclusive and prefers to remain out of the limelight. I hope you can understand my request that he not be bothered." Charlie was the only one to remain suspicious but soon gave in when more wine was offered.

Small pastries were presented on platters, some filled with jams others with more savory options, but after all this was not meant to be a huge to do. Time passed quickly and soon she was bidding her guests goodbye, thanking them for their company and gifts. Charlie had given her a bottle of Spanish sherry, James's sisters had gifted her a shawl wrap and insisted that Jamie was the one who had the idea for such a present. She could only laugh at the thought, but by far the most profound gift she had received so far was from George Nicholls. It was a music box.

He had said that it belonged to his late wife and that he could no longer stand seeing on his dresser every morning as it reminded him of her, but he also couldn't bear to have it within the house any longer. James had apparently loved the music box as a child, his father said often he would sneak it into his room before bed and listen to it while he fell asleep. Izabella wound the crank and opened the porcelain lid. Immediately the music began, the tune was slow and she had never heard it before even in all her years. Not once had she ever heard a song that sounded so much of love and loss. She closed it before she could cry.

It was just her and James that remained in the sitting room. They now sat on the floor surrounded by pillows and blankets before the roaring fireplace. From one of the chairs near the two of them, James pulled out a gift wrapped in brown parchment and held it out to Izabella. Her fingers caught the black twine and with a slight tug the knot was gone and the paper fell away. The words on her tongue were lost as she picked up the heart shaped box. She wished to know its history as she held it within her hands, how many people had gifted it to their lovers in the past as everything about its design told her that it was centuries old. Despite her wish she opened it to find the necklace, it was gold with a single amethyst stone set with the fixture.

"James, it's beautiful." Her hand trembled but the Captain quickly took the necklace and hooked it at the nape of her neck. The pendant hung low on her sternum and was shown perfectly with the cut of her dress. She looked down and smiled, brushing her finger over the chain and stone before looking back to James. Warm hands brushed over her cheek and neck and as she was about to speak he begun as well, but allowed him to continue on.

" _How do I love thee? Let me count the ways._

 _I love thee to the depth and breadth and height_

 _My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight_

 _For the ends of Being and ideal Grace._

 _I love thee to the level of every day's_

 _Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight_."

Izabella had recalled mentioning that she especially liked that sonnet by Elizabeth Browning but she had quickly covered it up with numerous other poems, so to hear him reciting the words in his honeyed voice caused excitement to run through her veins, a white hot fire.

" _I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;_

 _I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise._

 _I love with a passion put to use_

 _In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith._

 _I love thee with a love I seemed to lose_

 _With my lost saints, - I love thee with the breath,_

 _Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,_

 _I shall but love thee better after death_."

Izabella placed her hand on his cheek and slowly, almost ridiculously so, leaned in. Her cold lips pressed against his warm ones. "I know I do not say this enough, but I love you Belle." Their foreheads rested against each other's, lips nearly touching, each breath was a feather light caress.

"And I you, James." Her voice was quiet. She did not care that they did not say those three words upon every meeting because it was in their actions, in fact they had only spoken those words a total of three times in six months. The way he looked at Izabella was with sheer adoration and the way she smiled at him was beguiling. James raised his hand to rest on her neck, his thumb resting against her jaw. Simultaneously they both leaned in, intent on closing the gap between them - "Am I interrupting?" Adam's rough voice came from the doorway.

The vampiress sighed and let her hand fall away from the Captain's cheek, she looked at him for a moment before glancing back to Adam, she held momentary annoyance and it was visible but James squeezed her hand. Adam's eyes seemed filled with life at the moment they stood and followed him. The vampire sat at the piano, his heart twisting for his sudden desire for Eve upon seeing James holding Izabella close to him. He pushed that away and set his hands on the keys before turning back to his very dear friend.

"Would you like to hear your present?"


	17. 16

_"The moon is my sun, the night is my day. Blood is my life and you are my prey."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; December 12, 1913_

Adam gave a frustrated groan and crumpled up yet another piece of paper and tossed it in the direction of the chair Belle had been sitting in, dozing in and out of sleep while he sat at the piano, scribbling down note after note. It was the dissonant chord he angrily played that made her jump. "Sorry," he muttered, not even trying to cover the disgruntled tone of his voice. Sighing she reached down and picked up the wadded up piece of paper and smoothed it out over the arm of her chair before standing.

"May I?" She motioned to the piano and the piece of music in her hand. Adam slid over on the bench, making just enough room to allow Izabella to sit next to him. With a face of determination she played the notes he had written out, slowly, as if savoring each one and judging their placement. When she came to the last cadence that was when she noticed the jarring mixture of notes. Izabella played the short piece once more but stopped and altered the last note to a G. "What if you changed that from a minor second to a fifth and used G instead of C sharp with the middle C?"

Adam looked pensive for a moment before playing the melody over himself, and instead of being cacophonous it was in harmony with the rest of the piece. He was pleased with the change and scribbled it down on the lined page. "Amazing." She looked at Adam with a triumphant smile as he spoke his praise and before she could object he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. Izabella heaved a deep breath and began fiddling with the ends of his fraying hair.

"I'm leaving tomorrow night." When he said those words she pulled him closer. "Eve wishes for me to visit." Izabella glanced to the mantle clock seeing that is was already five in the morning, the sun would soon be rising.

"Let's get you to bed then." Adam grumbled. "I hope you know you're turning me back into a nocturnal creature. I do not like it." Izabella chided and pulled Adam to his feet. A satisfactory smirk tugged at the corner of his lips but she did not notice as the candles and fireplace had already been extinguished with a wave of her hand. Her room was dark, there was not a fire in the grate, nor a burning candle but in truth she did not need them to see, and neither did Adam.

The vampire began tossing his clothes aside in all directions hardly caring where they landed and was nearly in bed when Belle's soft voice beckoned him to her. "Unbutton me?" Had he truly done what he wanted he would have not worried with the line of buttons that when up her spine and just ripped the garment in two but slowly he undid each button until the back of the dress gaped open. The heavy gown slipped from her shoulders and pooled at the floor, with a delicate hand she picked it up and laid it across the dressing screen before joining Adam.

He turned on his side to face her and she did the same. His fingers curled around her forearm but quickly went to tapping a short and inconsistent rhythm on her skin. "What do you wish for me to bring back?" Izabella smiled to herself, thrilled that she would be seeing her friend again, that he would come back, it was the longest he had ever stayed with her and she found his company quite enjoyable.

"Spices, if you wouldn't mind." Her voice was quiet. The last time Adam had visited Eve in another city he had brought back a plethora of spices and time was finally depleting them. The saffron was the first to be used up and now all that was left in the turmeric jar was a pinch and maybe twice that amount was left in paprika and cumin. Izabella could feel his breath on her cheek and in the darkness she inched closer to him.

"Of course not." Her smile at the words was hardly noticeable but tenderly she kissed the corner of his lips, closing her eyes as the sun rose.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; December 25, 1913_

James had rushed back from training and practice drills, while he dearly wanted to ride straight to Izabella he knew he had to see his own family as well and to pick up the gift he had purchased for her. He had been away for two weeks with other officers training for various situations, all of them of course were hypothetical at that moment. It had to do with things that could happen in war or domestic disputes that may require the aid of the army and Calvary. He had spent the entity of Christmas Eve with his father and Olivia as Katherine was away in Essex with her own husband put upon the break of the dawn he had prepared his horse as the car was too cold to start and set on the worn path to Izabella.

Adam had left for Tangier, he had left soon after James's departure for the camps but solitude had long been her friend. Izabella shifted in her empty bed before rising and stirring the dwindling fire back into flames to warm the room. Her dressing gown was too thin to provide any type of warmth, she had never been one to feel cold since being turned but without her darling Captain and dear friend she was. Her blood felt like ice. She wrapped her arms around her waist after pulling back the dusty curtains to reveal the ground had been blanketed in white overnight. The second snow of the year.

When the date dawned and she hastily dug through drawers to find the small box that contained a present and sat it on her dresser. Throwing a heavy cloak lined with fur over her shoulders Izabella set off to care for her horses as she had dismissed her workers for the week and waited for James as she dearly hoped he would come to her.

The freshly fallen snow crunched under her boot with each step, it was a sound that she enjoyed immensely. The pine trees nearby had released their distinct scent into the air as well, creating a mix of warmth and coolness. With haste she finished feeding the three horses and began brushing their coat till it shined in the low light of the barn.

The vampiress was startled when hooves approached but instantly she knew it to be James and with a giddy smile she greeted him at the barn door. "Happy Christmas, my darling." As soon as he slipped off the saddle his lips were against hers.

"Indeed it is." Izabella pulled James along, out of the barn and towards her house but her foot caught on uneven ground and like the first night they met she fell forward, pulling the Captain with her. Instantly the wet snow began seeping into her clothing but she could not bring herself to care. The flakes that clung to her hair and eyelashes made her look like some type of winter goddess; mesmerized James found her lips in a kiss and with every ounce of her being she reciprocated until he pulled her from the ground and to her feet. He simply stared into her eyes for a long moment, only being drawn from the golden orbs when she took his hand and pulled him into the house.

Nearly all the fireplaces were lit to keep the chill from the old house casting warm shadows into the halls. Izabella began untying James's forest green scarf without a word and once undone she pulled it away from his neck and laid it on the catch-all table in the foyer. He then began unknotting the string at her neck to remove the damp cloak that hung from her shoulders, placing it beside his scarf. On a small rug Belle slid her work boots off and following her lead James left his own shoes next to hers. He shed his jacket before slipping his hand within Belle's and allowing her to lead him wherever.

In the time since he had been away she had a tree brought into her home, an evergreen with its fragrant needles, the smell moved into nearly all the rooms of her home. It stood proudly in the main sitting room where the two lovers often found themselves sitting on the floor before the large fireplace. Small candles were placed precariously in spaces around the branches, flickering back and forth at even the slightest disturbance in the air. Those were the only decorations placed on the tree aside from the single golden star that was placed on top. For her home though, it was fitting, as the only other marker of the season was the green wreath on the door accented with a red bow.

The vampiress rested against her Captain's chest, drifting in and out of sleep for several hours as the patterns he drew on her skin through her loose tunic was hypnotizing and the slow beating of his heart served as the perfect lullaby. James was content though, he did not need to hear meaningless rambling and gossip as other men so often complained about, the silence between them was sacred, it was precious.

They had both fallen asleep and by the time they both woke the sun would soon be setting, tea time had passed and with her staff gone a meal had yet to be prepared. James kissed her forehead and nose repeatedly until she fully awoke from the groggy haze.

"I have a preposterous idea, James." She grinned her fingers fiddling with the first button on his shirt. The Captain took her hand and stilled the motion but tipped her chin up.

"And what might that be?" His voice was quizzical but his smile told Izabella he would agree to whatever she had brewing in the depths of her mind.

"Let's cook something up." She was up within a second with both James's hands within hers. Izabella pulled him through the house and he followed. Seeing the way her scarlet curls bounced with life and feeling her cool hand within his, it was then that he decided that he would follow her anywhere, for as long as he lived. He would follow Izabella Brighton.

The kitchen was a room which she rarely worked in, not because she was not proficient in the skills necessary for cooking but because she loved to have constant life in it and with her cook she found that there was nearly always something going on. It was the first day in many years that her kitchen was cold, there was no fire in the fireplace, the ovens and stove top were not lit beneath pots and pans. There was not even lights burning, the only light coming into the room was that which streamed through the windows from the cloud covered sky. Izabella glanced out the window to see that it had begun to snow once more, the flakes that fell were large and with keen vision she could clearly see that no two were alike in their delicate design.

She only let go of James's hand when she looked in several of the cabinets. "What should we make? Grilled cheese? Biscuits and tea?" The good Captain only shrugged but soon began rolling up the sleeves of the white button up shirt. Izabella clapped her hands together excitedly, "All three it is then." It would be far from a traditional Christmas dinner but she hardly cared and James could not be bothered to think otherwise because he stared in awe as she moved around the kitchen.

Everything was strewn about the island countertop, cheese, bread, flour, sugar were among the ingredients. James had started a fire while she gathered the pots and pans that would be needed. The fresh wood and coals of those that were previously burned glowed with warmth and almost instantly rid the room of the chill. The Captain tended to the kettle of water on the stove top and Belle waited until the large cast iron pan was hot enough to melt a spoonful of butter.

For the most part they each worked in silence, only speaking if one needed to ask the other for help or to pass a utensil or ingredient. Two slices of rye bread were placed in the sizzling skillet and one slice of Somerset Brie was placed on each piece before the second slice of bread was sat atop the already bubbling cheese. "That smells lovely." James's arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as she flipped the sandwiches in the pan.

"Just wait until we start the butter biscuits." He kissed her cheek before slipping away to prepare their tea and concurrently both Belle and James sat down the piece of the meal they had made. The two were soon elbow deep in flour and sugar after eating their grilled cheese and finishing off the remaining tea, the kitchen itself was thoroughly coated with the dry ingredients as well. As the dough had now sat for an appropriate amount of time they each grabbed a spoon and began to place dollops of the sticky butter dough onto a baking sheet.

The aroma saturated the air and the time could not pass quickly enough. Even though they were hot enough to burn fingertips and tongues Belle and James could not wait to have the buttery biscuit melting on their tongue. The batch of dough had made three baker's dozens and within the hour none remained. Belle sighed and leaned against James, feeling positively stuffed but by no means did she regret eating that many sweets. The clock struck eight and then nine before James seemed to startle.

"Oh dear, I nearly forgot your present. I'm afraid it's still in Bill's saddle. I'll be right back, love." She could not remember the last time she had been given a present for Christmas, on rare occasions Adam and Eve would visit but that was hardly the type of gift that was typical. While he was retrieving her present, Izabella dashed up the stairs and snatched up the box she had laid out earlier in the day.

The snow that had stuck to his hair had already melted by the time he rejoined her in the sitting room. James held out the present, it was neatly wrapped in patterned paper and tied off with an elegant bow that she suspected his sister had helped him make. Izabella did not open the gift yet, instead she held out the red box for James to take.

"Ladies first, darling." She wanted to roll her eyes at the chivalry but set on opening the present instead. A thin piece of sky blue material flowed out onto her lap, Belle held it up to see that it was a dressing robe, stitched on the back was designs of flowers that wrapped around to the front as well. She could see that the robe was new but was modeled after the Eastern styles, nonetheless she welcomed the gift as it was a gorgeous replacement for her tatty seventeenth century dressing gown.

"This is stunning James, I love it." Izabella held the material close and motioned for James to open his gift. He removed the box's lid and a small smile formed on the corner of his lips as he ran his thumb across the intricately engraved surface. The Captain picked up the pocket watch and placed it in his palm, the silver chain and clip still falling partly into the box.

He looked up to her with sincere eyes. "Thank you, Belle. Truly." After a moment of repeating thanks they each stood, James tucked the watch into the pocket on his trousers and Belle held her dressing gown in hand as they ascended the stairs and to her room.

Izabella craved proximity but there was also the part of her mind that screamed in lust. With James she had realized that intimacy did not necessarily mean sex, it was more than just that and above all she never wanted to let him go. Silently she pulled off her tunic and shed the form fitting jodhpurs before turning to James. His breath caught at the sight of her, as it always did and almost agonizingly slow she walked to the bed before slipping under the sheets. James stripped his clothing as well, leaving it in a heap at the foot of the bed next to hers. He was strong muscle but incredibly agile and lithe, he was like Adonis in many ways. With exchanged kisses they each settled down only find that they were hardly even tired yet.

Several hours passed, they had moved on from giving gifts and undressing to topics they often found themselves speaking of. Such as art, literature, history, and science. Izabella frowned for a second, thinking of everything she had seen in her lifetime, the change, both progressive and regressive in some situations. The world and the people that lived within it were constantly evolving. James saw how pensive she looked and did not hesitate to lean over and press his lips to hers, his hand sliding down to her waist and hers to his shoulder. Her breath fanned over his lips, feeling like small kisses themselves but she looked away for an instant and moved to trace over his thin lips with her cold thumb, he was not truly prepared for the gravity of what she would speak. "The world changes, we do not, there lies the irony that finally kills us."


	18. 17

_"The moon is my sun, the night is my day. Blood is my life and you are my prey."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; December 12, 1913_

Adam gave a frustrated groan and crumpled up yet another piece of paper and tossed it in the direction of the chair Belle had been sitting in, dozing in and out of sleep while he sat at the piano, scribbling down note after note. It was the dissonant chord he angrily played that made her jump. "Sorry," he muttered, not even trying to cover the disgruntled tone of his voice. Sighing she reached down and picked up the wadded up piece of paper and smoothed it out over the arm of her chair before standing.

"May I?" She motioned to the piano and the piece of music in her hand. Adam slid over on the bench, making just enough room to allow Izabella to sit next to him. With a face of determination she played the notes he had written out, slowly, as if savoring each one and judging their placement. When she came to the last cadence that was when she noticed the jarring mixture of notes. Izabella played the short piece once more but stopped and altered the last note to a G. "What if you changed that from a minor second to a fifth and used G instead of C sharp with the middle C?"

Adam looked pensive for a moment before playing the melody over himself, and instead of being cacophonous it was in harmony with the rest of the piece. He was pleased with the change and scribbled it down on the lined page. "Amazing." She looked at Adam with a triumphant smile as he spoke his praise and before she could object he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. Izabella heaved a deep breath and began fiddling with the ends of his fraying hair.

"I'm leaving tomorrow night." When he said those words she pulled him closer. "Eve wishes for me to visit." Izabella glanced to the mantle clock seeing that is was already five in the morning, the sun would soon be rising.

"Let's get you to bed then." Adam grumbled. "I hope you know you're turning me back into a nocturnal creature. I do not like it." Izabella chided and pulled Adam to his feet. A satisfactory smirk tugged at the corner of his lips but she did not notice as the candles and fireplace had already been extinguished with a wave of her hand. Her room was dark, there was not a fire in the grate, nor a burning candle but in truth she did not need them to see, and neither did Adam.

The vampire began tossing his clothes aside in all directions hardly caring where they landed and was nearly in bed when Belle's soft voice beckoned him to her. "Unbutton me?" Had he truly done what he wanted he would have not worried with the line of buttons that when up her spine and just ripped the garment in two but slowly he undid each button until the back of the dress gaped open. The heavy gown slipped from her shoulders and pooled at the floor, with a delicate hand she picked it up and laid it across the dressing screen before joining Adam.

He turned on his side to face her and she did the same. His fingers curled around her forearm but quickly went to tapping a short and inconsistent rhythm on her skin. "What do you wish for me to bring back?" Izabella smiled to herself, thrilled that she would be seeing her friend again, that he would come back, it was the longest he had ever stayed with her and she found his company quite enjoyable.

"Spices, if you wouldn't mind." Her voice was quiet. The last time Adam had visited Eve in another city he had brought back a plethora of spices and time was finally depleting them. The saffron was the first to be used up and now all that was left in the turmeric jar was a pinch and maybe twice that amount was left in paprika and cumin. Izabella could feel his breath on her cheek and in the darkness she inched closer to him.

"Of course not." Her smile at the words was hardly noticeable but tenderly she kissed the corner of his lips, closing her eyes as the sun rose.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; December 25, 1913_

James had rushed back from training and practice drills, while he dearly wanted to ride straight to Izabella he knew he had to see his own family as well and to pick up the gift he had purchased for her. He had been away for two weeks with other officers training for various situations, all of them of course were hypothetical at that moment. It had to do with things that could happen in war or domestic disputes that may require the aid of the army and Calvary. He had spent the entity of Christmas Eve with his father and Olivia as Katherine was away in Essex with her own husband put upon the break of the dawn he had prepared his horse as the car was too cold to start and set on the worn path to Izabella.

Adam had left for Tangier, he had left soon after James's departure for the camps but solitude had long been her friend. Izabella shifted in her empty bed before rising and stirring the dwindling fire back into flames to warm the room. Her dressing gown was too thin to provide any type of warmth, she had never been one to feel cold since being turned but without her darling Captain and dear friend she was. Her blood felt like ice. She wrapped her arms around her waist after pulling back the dusty curtains to reveal the ground had been blanketed in white overnight. The second snow of the year.

When the date dawned and she hastily dug through drawers to find the small box that contained a present and sat it on her dresser. Throwing a heavy cloak lined with fur over her shoulders Izabella set off to care for her horses as she had dismissed her workers for the week and waited for James as she dearly hoped he would come to her.

The freshly fallen snow crunched under her boot with each step, it was a sound that she enjoyed immensely. The pine trees nearby had released their distinct scent into the air as well, creating a mix of warmth and coolness. With haste she finished feeding the three horses and began brushing their coat till it shined in the low light of the barn.

The vampiress was startled when hooves approached but instantly she knew it to be James and with a giddy smile she greeted him at the barn door. "Happy Christmas, my darling." As soon as he slipped off the saddle his lips were against hers.

"Indeed it is." Izabella pulled James along, out of the barn and towards her house but her foot caught on uneven ground and like the first night they met she fell forward, pulling the Captain with her. Instantly the wet snow began seeping into her clothing but she could not bring herself to care. The flakes that clung to her hair and eyelashes made her look like some type of winter goddess; mesmerized James found her lips in a kiss and with every ounce of her being she reciprocated until he pulled her from the ground and to her feet. He simply stared into her eyes for a long moment, only being drawn from the golden orbs when she took his hand and pulled him into the house.

Nearly all the fireplaces were lit to keep the chill from the old house casting warm shadows into the halls. Izabella began untying James's forest green scarf without a word and once undone she pulled it away from his neck and laid it on the catch-all table in the foyer. He then began unknotting the string at her neck to remove the damp cloak that hung from her shoulders, placing it beside his scarf. On a small rug Belle slid her work boots off and following her lead James left his own shoes next to hers. He shed his jacket before slipping his hand within Belle's and allowing her to lead him wherever.

In the time since he had been away she had a tree brought into her home, an evergreen with its fragrant needles, the smell moved into nearly all the rooms of her home. It stood proudly in the main sitting room where the two lovers often found themselves sitting on the floor before the large fireplace. Small candles were placed precariously in spaces around the branches, flickering back and forth at even the slightest disturbance in the air. Those were the only decorations placed on the tree aside from the single golden star that was placed on top. For her home though, it was fitting, as the only other marker of the season was the green wreath on the door accented with a red bow.

The vampiress rested against her Captain's chest, drifting in and out of sleep for several hours as the patterns he drew on her skin through her loose tunic was hypnotizing and the slow beating of his heart served as the perfect lullaby. James was content though, he did not need to hear meaningless rambling and gossip as other men so often complained about, the silence between them was sacred, it was precious.

They had both fallen asleep and by the time they both woke the sun would soon be setting, tea time had passed and with her staff gone a meal had yet to be prepared. James kissed her forehead and nose repeatedly until she fully awoke from the groggy haze.

"I have a preposterous idea, James." She grinned her fingers fiddling with the first button on his shirt. The Captain took her hand and stilled the motion but tipped her chin up.

"And what might that be?" His voice was quizzical but his smile told Izabella he would agree to whatever she had brewing in the depths of her mind.

"Let's cook something up." She was up within a second with both James's hands within hers. Izabella pulled him through the house and he followed. Seeing the way her scarlet curls bounced with life and feeling her cool hand within his, it was then that he decided that he would follow her anywhere, for as long as he lived. He would follow Izabella Brighton.

The kitchen was a room which she rarely worked in, not because she was not proficient in the skills necessary for cooking but because she loved to have constant life in it and with her cook she found that there was nearly always something going on. It was the first day in many years that her kitchen was cold, there was no fire in the fireplace, the ovens and stove top were not lit beneath pots and pans. There was not even lights burning, the only light coming into the room was that which streamed through the windows from the cloud covered sky. Izabella glanced out the window to see that it had begun to snow once more, the flakes that fell were large and with keen vision she could clearly see that no two were alike in their delicate design.

She only let go of James's hand when she looked in several of the cabinets. "What should we make? Grilled cheese? Biscuits and tea?" The good Captain only shrugged but soon began rolling up the sleeves of the white button up shirt. Izabella clapped her hands together excitedly, "All three it is then." It would be far from a traditional Christmas dinner but she hardly cared and James could not be bothered to think otherwise because he stared in awe as she moved around the kitchen.

Everything was strewn about the island countertop, cheese, bread, flour, sugar were among the ingredients. James had started a fire while she gathered the pots and pans that would be needed. The fresh wood and coals of those that were previously burned glowed with warmth and almost instantly rid the room of the chill. The Captain tended to the kettle of water on the stove top and Belle waited until the large cast iron pan was hot enough to melt a spoonful of butter.

For the most part they each worked in silence, only speaking if one needed to ask the other for help or to pass a utensil or ingredient. Two slices of rye bread were placed in the sizzling skillet and one slice of Somerset Brie was placed on each piece before the second slice of bread was sat atop the already bubbling cheese. "That smells lovely." James's arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as she flipped the sandwiches in the pan.

"Just wait until we start the butter biscuits." He kissed her cheek before slipping away to prepare their tea and concurrently both Belle and James sat down the piece of the meal they had made. The two were soon elbow deep in flour and sugar after eating their grilled cheese and finishing off the remaining tea, the kitchen itself was thoroughly coated with the dry ingredients as well. As the dough had now sat for an appropriate amount of time they each grabbed a spoon and began to place dollops of the sticky butter dough onto a baking sheet.

The aroma saturated the air and the time could not pass quickly enough. Even though they were hot enough to burn fingertips and tongues Belle and James could not wait to have the buttery biscuit melting on their tongue. The batch of dough had made three baker's dozens and within the hour none remained. Belle sighed and leaned against James, feeling positively stuffed but by no means did she regret eating that many sweets. The clock struck eight and then nine before James seemed to startle.

"Oh dear, I nearly forgot your present. I'm afraid it's still in Bill's saddle. I'll be right back, love." She could not remember the last time she had been given a present for Christmas, on rare occasions Adam and Eve would visit but that was hardly the type of gift that was typical. While he was retrieving her present, Izabella dashed up the stairs and snatched up the box she had laid out earlier in the day.

The snow that had stuck to his hair had already melted by the time he rejoined her in the sitting room. James held out the present, it was neatly wrapped in patterned paper and tied off with an elegant bow that she suspected his sister had helped him make. Izabella did not open the gift yet, instead she held out the red box for James to take.

"Ladies first, darling." She wanted to roll her eyes at the chivalry but set on opening the present instead. A thin piece of sky blue material flowed out onto her lap, Belle held it up to see that it was a dressing robe, stitched on the back was designs of flowers that wrapped around to the front as well. She could see that the robe was new but was modeled after the Eastern styles, nonetheless she welcomed the gift as it was a gorgeous replacement for her tatty seventeenth century dressing gown.

"This is stunning James, I love it." Izabella held the material close and motioned for James to open his gift. He removed the box's lid and a small smile formed on the corner of his lips as he ran his thumb across the intricately engraved surface. The Captain picked up the pocket watch and placed it in his palm, the silver chain and clip still falling partly into the box.

He looked up to her with sincere eyes. "Thank you, Belle. Truly." After a moment of repeating thanks they each stood, James tucked the watch into the pocket on his trousers and Belle held her dressing gown in hand as they ascended the stairs and to her room.

Izabella craved proximity but there was also the part of her mind that screamed in lust. With James she had realized that intimacy did not necessarily mean sex, it was more than just that and above all she never wanted to let him go. Silently she pulled off her tunic and shed the form fitting jodhpurs before turning to James. His breath caught at the sight of her, as it always did and almost agonizingly slow she walked to the bed before slipping under the sheets. James stripped his clothing as well, leaving it in a heap at the foot of the bed next to hers. He was strong muscle but incredibly agile and lithe, he was like Adonis in many ways. With exchanged kisses they each settled down only find that they were hardly even tired yet.

Several hours passed, they had moved on from giving gifts and undressing to topics they often found themselves speaking of. Such as art, literature, history, and science. Izabella frowned for a second, thinking of everything she had seen in her lifetime, the change, both progressive and regressive in some situations. The world and the people that lived within it were constantly evolving. James saw how pensive she looked and did not hesitate to lean over and press his lips to hers, his hand sliding down to her waist and hers to his shoulder. Her breath fanned over his lips, feeling like small kisses themselves but she looked away for an instant and moved to trace over his thin lips with her cold thumb, he was not truly prepared for the gravity of what she would speak. "The world changes, we do not, there lies the irony that finally kills us."


	19. 18

_"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; March 9, 1914_

"Is that the last of it?" Izabella looked to the stacks of crates that had been transported over the weeks since she had asked him to stay. His father was not per se happy with the decision as the two were unwed, not even engaged yet but he did not stop him on the premise that he would come as often as possible. The Captain thought the feeling to be surreal, he was soon going to be immersed in her world. The last of what he had chosen to bring to the Brighton Estate were packed on the back of the buggy pulled by Scatha and Glaurung.

"Yes, it is." They began unloading the cart, one crate and box at a time. She had reworked her own closet and wardrobe, moving and shifting what could be moved with risking tearing a seam or sleeve. This had of course occurred over the span of three weeks, but now it was truly final. James was going to stay with her. She picked up two crates and carried them up the stairs to begin sorting the clothing within into drawers and hanging suits and such.

She had also allowed him to set up another room as a reprieve, much the way Adam had his lab, an ornate desk sat in front of the wide window, the sketches from his walls had been taken down and placed inside a drawer until things settled more. He had only brought a handful of books, those that he said were his favorites. James placed the last large box on the settee at the foot of her bed.

For a moment they each stood still looking at one another until he looked down and drew out a burgundy housecoat patterned with brighter reds and blacks, the lapels and cuffs were velvet and Izabella nearly laughed at how strikingly similar it was to Adam's. James placed the garment on a hanger and then hung it beside Belle's dressing gown. The silence was interrupted when she jokingly pointed out that he had three ties that were the exact same, he claimed them to be gifts from his sisters when he had lost one. His fingers caught her chin, he tipped her head up and leaned down planting a lingering kiss upon her red lips.

The Captain held up his dress uniform, the very last thing to unpack. Belle wrapped her arms around his waist from behind as he hung the military issued set up, she could feel the mirthful sound beginning to grow in his chest and he turned, gently prying her arms away. She thought he was going to kiss her again but a coy smile formed on thin lips. "Have I ever told you how handsome you look in uniform?" Izabella pressed her hands against the rumpled collar of the white shirt he wore, the sleeves sloppily pushed up to his elbows.

"I believe you have. Now you just stroke my ego." His smile was crooked and jesting she lightly slapped his arm before turning to lie on the bed, it was a comfort to know that James would be staying with her. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling his shoes off but Belle being herself did not wear any after returning. She sat up when the bed dipped with his weight and draped her arms over his shoulders, her breath tickled his neck and her lips were nothing but a feather against his jaw.

"It's time for tea." He pressed his hand over hers which laid over his heart, the rhythmic thump beneath her palm made the vampiress smile. James turned his head and their lips met is a short kiss before they stood and descended the stairs.

The table was laid out. Thin bread and butter, the crisp little cakes that had been baked in readiness that morning along with lemon scones all sat out on a platter, serving as a centerpiece as her flowers had not started to bloom yet. Tutti swiftly brought a kettle of tea upon seeing the two enter the tea room and in their cups she poured the steaming liquid and sat the small pitcher of milk and dish of sugar down. "Thank you, Tutti." Izabella placed a scone on a small plate and slid it across the table to James, who was preparing their tea. She smiled at the first sip as he remembered exactly how she liked it.

For the rest of the afternoon before supper James and Belle went to the stables, treating her three horses to sugar cubes and apples. Izabella could tell by the slow moving Gail that the horse had arthritis, it pained her to see the horse in such a state but at the sight of her owner she stood from her resting position and hung her head over the stall door, whinnying. Time passed all too quickly with James and before she had even noticed the sun was setting.

James sat in the bath with Izabella's back pressed against his chest, his legs on either side of her and arms around her torso but then he started to draw delicate little circles around her bellybutton. The action made her smile and lean further back. Her arms were raised, hands playing with the damp curls that had begun forming at the nape of his neck. After a moment the Captain ran his hands up the sides of her chest and to her chin to gently coax her to turn so that he could kiss her.

"We're beginning to look like prunes, James." He chuckled and lifted his hand to see his fingertips had wrinkled from the water which had now grown tepid. Once dry and dressed once more Belle poured her sherry glass to the brim with blood, making sure not to leave a single wasted drop from the flask she placed back into the ice box. She sat the glass aside on her nightstand for a moment and sat on top of the duvet as James sketched. He was still fascinated in the physical changes that occurred when she drank and he could no longer deny what the images of her head thrown back in ecstasy stirred within him.

She tipped the glass back, emptying the contents and sank back into the pillows behind her. James watched as her fangs were bared and stained with blood, her eyes closed in the moment. Perhaps the most disturbing thing he had found was that the taste of lingering blood did not bother him when they kissed. When she was no longer in a haze he continued to sketch and she watched until the door creaked open and a mop of black hair peeped inside.

"Come down, the both of you." His smile made Belle jump to her feet and tug the Captain from bed and down the stairs to her sitting turned music room. "I found something that you'll thoroughly enjoy." The vampire sat the old dusty record on the machine and lifted the needle until it aligned with the grooves. The sound of the needle hitting the record was the sound denoting that a big moment was about to happen. It was the shotgun before the race, lightning before the thunder. It was the sound of waiting, the sound of saving, and the crackly sound of imperfection opening the way into a perfect moment.

The music began filling the room as if a full orchestra was present. Gold eyes widened and reflected the firelight at the first notes of the harp and then the violin came and she was carried away with the flutes melody trapped inside her mind with the images of rattling skeletons and Death. It was Danse macabre composed by Saint-Saëns; she had known the old French composer personally and never did she stop praising this piece. The tone emitted from the gramophone was warm and surprisingly intimate in the way she heard tiny things that had once been looked over. It was disturbing and grim and beautiful all at once.

James sat in a straight-back chair, his eyes focused on Izabella and smile she wore. Adam watched the vampiress sway to the timpani and bass drum until she had to stand and move. She extended her hand for James to take but he was clueless on how to dance to such an intricate and energetic piece, perhaps ballet was more appropriate accompaniment. Regardless he took her hand and stood, they were sure to look like loons. She and Adam had danced to this song numerous times once before, they had even combined elements of the classic galliard and more provocative bolero into a dance, but now she wanted to share the moment with James. They could craft their own dance.

His laugh was nervous when he looked down his nose at Belle. "I haven't the slightest clue as to how to dance to this, Belle."

"Nonsense, just move with me." They moved in steps of three, coinciding in the meter of the song. She closed her eyes and let the tempo guide her. James followed in step, his hand resting up her waist, the other securely laced through Izabella's and they moved like the dancing dead. His hand slipped from hers and in a moment of surprise he lifted her from the ground for only a moment before falling back into rhythm. She opened her eyes and the breath nearly left her lungs. He was the sun, filled with beauty enough to blind, and oh how she would stare at him, fingers intertwined, looking at the sun until the day she died.

The floor space in the room was almost too little, the piano and furniture served as obstacles and a perimeter. With the growing crescendo that led into an obbligato violin Belle knew the piece would soon come to a close. But with near perfect timing James dipped back Belle and pulled her back into his chest for the final note. From the corner of her eye she could see Adam smile as the static on the record grew and came to a halt.

"Perfect," the Captain shook his head lightly at her praise, placing his hand beneath her chin, a soft kiss upon her lips followed. She turned to Adam, "Do you remember how to dance to this?"

"I do not believe I could ever forget, especially when you had the orchestra play it three times over before records were invented." A reminiscent mien formed in his eyes. The white night shift had begun to slip from her shoulder and the braid that was once neatly holding her hair back was falling out, loose curls framed her face. James released her hand but before he returned to his chair she kissed him once more, if only for assurance that it was his name branded across her heart.

Adam's striped house coat was loosely tied shut, revealing that he did not wear a shirt beneath to accompany the silky material of his lounge pants. He stood, resetting the record and dropped the needle once more before coming to stand before Belle, their chests nearly touching. It was elaborate array of hops and jumps with the sensuality of fevered caresses to chests and waists. He lifted her in the air with ease several times, each time she took the graceful form of a trained dancer. The Captain watched intently, reminding himself that there was no need for the jealousy that spiked within him because after this event was over he and she would return to their bed.

This time the composition passed agonizingly slow for James but he watched with rapt attention and envied Adam for only a brief moment as he had shared so many years with her. Her arms were above her head when the music stopped, a pair of pale arms wrapped securely around her waist. Belle's cheeks were tinged red at the exertion and her chest heaved but her eyes were locked onto James's. "Still graceful as ever." Adam released her and she sat next to her Captain. Her head was on his shoulder and her petite hand covered one of his as the vampire removed the record and stored it away so it would remain in near pristine condition.

"It's getting late." Belle nearly whispered. Adam had left only a few minutes after putting away the record and closing the lid of the piano to occupy his mess of a laboratory. James turned his head until his nose was pressed against her hair.

"Yes, it is." He carried her up the stairs and back to bed, tucking his sketch book aside for the night. Belle flicked her hand and the fireplace died down and with a flipped switch the electric lamp ceased to light the room. They each went to sleep thinking of each other and they woke just the same.

 _London; March 20, 1914_

"Izabella! Thank you so much for coming today." Olivia smiled and hugged her before releasing her to look at Katherine and one other woman who was roughly the same age as the sisters. "And I would like to introduce you to my dear friend Annalise Wiles."

"Anna, this is Izabella. My brother's fiancée." Immediately Izabella's cheeks burned a shade of red that she had not felt for a long time and decidedly she shook her head despite the laughter coming from the sisters. "Liv, I'm afraid you've jumped ahead of us. He hasn't proposed." Katherine smirked and held the door open to the dress shop. The bride-to-be entered first, followed by Annalise and Belle.

"Yet." The elder sister commented, rolling her eyes at Belle's ignorance for exactly how deep her brother's feeling were for the lady. "It's nearly been a year, it's just a matter of when he'll ask now."

Olivia held up and inspected gown after gown that had been selected given her specifications. Some she held up were crème, others a bright white, a few were almost a pale gold color. Annalise praised every one she tried on, Belle and Katherine remained relatively silent until the green eyed girl walked from the fitting room with an eggshell colored gown. It was streamline, not flaring out anywhere as the Victorian era gowns had done. In fact, this gown did not even have a corset. The neckline came up to the top of her sternum and instead of intricate bead work, which had become popular in the decade there was crocheted patterns that extended down to the train. A thin piece of fabric was tied into a bow at the front of her natural waist. It was elegant yet surprisingly simple as the material was a mix between cotton and pique, fitting for a spring wedding.

Olivia's smile was meek but her eyes said this could be the one. Katherine spoke first and then Izabella. It was the one. The seamstress led her back into the fitting room to take better measurements for adjustments. Lazily Izabella stood from her chair and skimmed over the white gowns. The last wedding she had witnessed was Adam and Eve's third wedding, it had been a summer event; June 23, 1868. She paused at an older design mixed in.

It was white and had a line of buttons running up the back, overlaid with lace it had a high collar of lace and sleeves of the same material that came to just below the elbow. The train was short and the skirt flowed out at the waist, hardly an extravagant gown. She had evening gowns with more detail. "You should try it on." Katherine lifted a dark brown brow and Belle pushed herself away from the dresses, shaking her head. The quartet left after arrangements were made of when the dress would be ready for the next fitting and after a small lunch at Kettner's they departed. Izabella found Ellis and with a smile he opened the carriage door for her before traveling the worn path back to the estate.

Izabella rolled the stem of her small glass between her thumb and forefinger as it had been emptied of the night's drink. She scooted closer on the bed until her head could rest on James's shoulder. He was finishing a sketch. Fondly she looked upon the resemblance of her own neckline and reached for the necklace that hung around her neck that he had drawn. He sat the piece of charcoal down and slid his arm around the curve of Izabella's back. There was a pregnant pause in the air as it seemed they each wanted to speak at the same time but finally she spoke. "Your sister is going to look beautiful in her wedding dress."

His hand ran through the damp strands of hair that were beginning to curl. "Has she mentioned a date yet?"

Belle nodded. "April 21st."

James sighed and let his hand fall to her shoulder, his thumb moving in circles on the bare skin of her shoulder, "Jamie and I will be away the week before." He sounded as if he did not want to leave again so soon as they would be in the countryside again, possibly Devon or West Sussex.

Belle fiddled this the edge of the sheets before turning to see her Captain from the corner of her eye. "Perhaps that is a good thing in a way." It would allow preparations to be made without hassling Jamie on the subject, and truly the planning would probably go smoother. She kissed his cheek and then the tip of his nose.

James's face scrunched up, her hair tickled his neck and ear. The clock struck midnight and the Captain kissed her forehead, murmuring against her cool skin. "I wish you only sweet dreams my darling Belle." His voice was sweet and sincere.

"And I you, Captain Nicholls." She did not dream because for once her reality was so much sweeter than the illusions her imagination could conjure to torture her. And that in its own right was a sweet dream.


	20. 19

_"Once you cross over, there are things in the darkness that can keep your heart from ever feeling the light again."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; April 22, 1914_

"Izabella!" The vampiress jumped at the sound of her name. It startled her and for a moment she believed it to be James but once again he was away. It was Adam who came into the room, just waking as the sun had set in the sky.

"Adam, what is wrong?" She knew something was not right by the tone he had used and the way he lingered in the doorway.

"I had a dream," her brows furrowed and she moved aside, allowing the vampire to sit on her bed. "About you." Yet again he pauses as if trying to formulate a question or a summary of what he had seen. "Belle, I need to know exactly what you did to be able to go in the sun."

She drew in a deep breath, she had never given specifics not to Adam and certainly not to Eve, the situation surrounding the deal was far from ideal and it always lingered in the back of her mind every time the sun gazed upon her skin without turning it to ash. "It was not with the devil, but his name was Lucius Lucifer. He was like you and I, immortal, but not vampire. I could not stand to live away from the light of the sun and one night I met him in the London streets. He instantly knew what I was and he claimed to be a sorcerer, a warlock of sorts...

I spoke of my predicament and he allowed me to drink from him. It would permit me to go in the sun but also bind myself to a contract. He told me I could never turn another and those that I fed from had to be killed. That part you know, but he demanded a favor, one where he would be able to call upon me at any time and use it. I know I was stupid and foolish but Adam, I did not want to live away from the light, I couldn't." Her voice cracked as she remembered what it was like to be confined to the night, held prisoner by the very thing that created her.

His hands touched the sides of her face, thumbs stroking complacent circles on her cheeks. His eyes were gleaming with what looked to be tears but before she could question him further he had pressed his forehead against hers, holding her tightly as if this were to be the last time he could do so. "You foolish girl." For once in her life she was afraid of words, she was afraid of whatever Adam had seen, yet would not tell. Belle wanted James, she wanted to be able to cling to him and cry but instead she was left with Adam.

Tears stung in her eyes and she could not hold them back, the vampire frowned as the drop of liquid hit his wrist. "Izabella, please, do not cry." She heard the soft plea but could not stop the sobs wracking her body. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. "Belle." Golden eyes looked up at the soft mention of her name, sighing he wiped away her tears and cradled her delicate face.

"Will you tell me of your dream?" She asked, bringing her bottom lip into her mouth, her fingers toying with the tips of his own. Adam sighed and looked down it was then he found his answer. She did not need to know the horrors he had seen in her future, she did not need to bear that pain, it would best for her to be blissfully ignorant for the coming months.

"You do not need to know," one of his hands fiddled with the ends of her hair, "not yet." Izabella left it at that as she knew he would not tell and further prying would only serve to annoy him. She had to trust his judgement and she did.

"Stay with me?" He breathed a low yes before kissing the crown of her head and bringing her into his side. The tiny streams of moonlight that filtered through the sheer curtain panels was enough to cause him to remember what Eve had told him once and he repeated it, feeling as if Belle needed to hear it, if only so she would remember those words in the coming future.

"The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It's always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it's a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be vampire. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections."

During the night Adam had left Belle's side as she had appeared to be sound asleep, her chest rising and falling in a perfect rhythm. Her sleep though, was fitful at best because for the first time she dreamed, not about another vampire as had occurred with Ava, but memories lost in her past.

 _Twigs cracked beneath her feet as she roamed the woods, a thing blanket of frost had already fallen to the forest floor and the sun would soon be rising. She hated it, she hated this life. Doomed to wander in the night hours, to search for a helpless victim. It was then she spotted him from the edge of the tree line. He walked alone, a foolish choice really after the random disappearances that had occurred in the London streets. She stalked her prey, waiting for the moment to pounce._

 _The hair that shown from beneath a dusty black cloak was nearly bleached of color and when he glanced back over his shoulder Izabella could make out his pointed features and harsh grey eyes that were shadowed. He was pale, perhaps paler than herself. That should have been the first clue that this was no ordinary human but she ignored the signs as her fangs throbbed, aching to be coated with blood and so she advanced, moving into the open night air._

 _"It has been quite some time since I have had the pleasure of coming across one of your kind." She stopped in her tracks, his words were directed at her as there was no one else in the dark streets. "Izabella, come now. Do not be shy." His voice was hoarse from the biting cold but the slight chuckle he gave echoed in the air._

 _"Who are you?" She demanded, rooted in place as she could smell the danger that lingered around this man, but above that she could smell his blood pulsating through his veins it was like nothing she had ever smelled before. Pure and sweet._

 _"I shall tell you but it looks as if the sun is rising. Follow me and make haste." It was foolish to follow him, for all she knew he could turn around and drive a stake through her heart but her options were limited as the sun was starting to rise and her home was miles away. He ushered her towards an abandoned storefront and opened the door to the old shop. The air within was fetid and stale compared to the crisp winter air outside. When the door closed she jumped and followed closely behind her mysterious man, only catching notice that they had appeared to be in an old apothecary store as he lead her up the stairs into a small living quarters. From thin air the man produced a black rose and handed the thorned flower to Izabella, she looked at for a few moment before setting it aside, a strange feeling gathering in her stomach._

 _"I have existed for centuries, since the beginning of man. Some call me a demiurge, others a sustainer, most, however; call me the devil. My name is Lucius Lucifer, and I am at your service." Izabella bit her lip as he moved around the room closing the curtains so none of the morning light could land upon her skin and she watched raptly as he shrugged off the fading black coat. "Please, Izabella, sit and tell me what your heart desires." He motioned for the bed and even with the voices screaming in her head she sat next to him and as if in a trance she told the man what she wanted most of all._

 _"The sun. I miss the sun." Her voice was quiet and her eyes downcast, Lucius tipped her chin up, so tempted by her full red lips. His smile was twisted, his hand cold and calloused._

 _"Ah yes, a tricky remedy for a vampire but not impossible though I'm afraid it will come with terms." Belle nodded, urging him to continue but she would agree, she knew she would regardless of what he would require. "You will not turn another and those that you feed from are to be killed," his icy grey irises traced over her body, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip. "I also require one favor from you, I do not know when I will call upon you to fulfill it but if you do not I will take away the sun once more."_

 _She shivered but agreed, her vision went blurry for a moment as she had not fed in two days, but she watched with keen interest as the man swept aside his frayed hair, revealing his neck. "Drink and you shall be one with light and dark." And so she did. Izabella moved closer, relishing in the warmth of the room. Her golden eyes flashed up to meet his one last time and when he nodded she traced her finger over the swollen vein in his neck before leaning in and sinking her teeth into his skin._

 _When his hands began untying the strings to her gown and corset she was not fazed, when his hands began stroking the bared skin of her back she hardly brought herself to care. Izabella moaned softly against his broken skin at the gentle touches and in her euphoric haze she withdrew her fangs from his neck and laid back. But then it happened, her skin felt as if it was on fire, her bones ached, and her back arched fully off the bed. The vampiress screamed, her bloodstained fangs fully exposed, her chest heaving. Lucius watched intently and after several hours of her agonizing wails of pain she lie still on the bed._

 _Her eyes opened, adjusting to the darkness but when the man before her flicked his wrist the curtains drew themselves away from the windows and the afternoon light flooded the room. At first she flinched away, realizing there was nowhere in the room safe from the sun but then she felt it. The warmth she had missed and there was no pain, her flesh did not burn, nor did it turn to ash and stone. "It worked?" She had meant it to be a statement but the words came out as a question, unsure and wary._

 _Lucius leaned forward and after so much as a second thought Izabella lurched forward, taking his face into her hands and pressing her lips to his own. She was not sure what she was doing but she could hardly care, this man had saved her whether he knew it or not. Her head fell back when his lips skimmed along her neck, his hand rising to cover one of her exposed breasts. Even with her drunken state Izabella pulled violently at the buttons on his stained and wrinkled poet's shirt..._

The lady of the house woke in the early morning hours, her brow soaked with sweat and the space where Adam had laid was now vacant. She shuddered at the memory of that night so many years ago and deftly she rubbed the small mark he had made on her chest. To everyone else it appeared to be nothing but a line of freckles and discoloration but should the hand of Lucius Lucifer touch her once more it would be visible. Izabella looked out the bay window to see the sun was rising regardless though she pulled the sheet over her head and tried once more the sleep.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; May 19, 1914_

Izabella rolled on her side moving closer to James in the early morning hours as the sun had not risen and there was an undeniable chill in the room. Her scantily clad body pressed against his and despite still being sound asleep her presence was a magnet drawing him to her. Several hours passed before she cracked her eyes open, the room was basked in the warm ambiance of sunlight.

The silken dressing gown hung open as she moved to the window, looking down at her garden. It was a sight she loved in the warmer months. To look upon what she had labored over months prior with the flowers at full blossom and the vibrant shade of green everything was.

No longer was the wood and grass barren from winter, it had returned, as it always did. James had just begun to stir but before she looked back at him the small stack of books on her corner table captured her attention. Undoubtedly they were a gift from Adam but their contents was what surprised her the most. They were medical books, on field medicine and surgery, the vivid diagrams within the first pages were enough to make her heart speed up. "Belle? Come back to bed." His voice was nearly a croak and she could not stop the smile on her lips as she turned and rejoined him.

It was hours later before they had chosen to fully wake and dress before brunch, but then it was decided that a walk in the gardens would be good. The roses of her garden had bloomed into a brilliant array of colors, reds flowed into pinks and yellows, their soft fragrance filled the mid-afternoon air. James slipped his hand through hers as they walked on the cobble path. Her darling Captain had been tense as of late, word was spreading across the channel of the rising tensions in the mainland, and it seemed a war would be unavoidable. England's involvement though, was still questionable. Belle squeezed his hand. "We should ride today."

Her gaze was torn away from his when she caught a glimpse of a rose that was cursed, forever presenting bad omens. The petals were black as the night sky, in the moment she tried to convince herself that it was simply such a deep shade of red it appeared to be that dreaded color. A lump formed in her throat, the words James had spoken were lost within her thoughts. She trembled but James scooped her into his arms and carried her to the stables and slowly the thought of the black rose began to fade.

Izabella sat astride Gail, bringing the horse into a show style trot. James smiled as he urged Scatha to do the same, only Scatha was not trained in the same manner Gail was and when the Captain tapped her sides with his boots the mare took off galloping through the open pasture. Belle laughed but was instantly rushing towards the Captain and horse as the mare had come to a skidding halt, throwing James off and onto his back. She slipped off her own horse and knelt down next to James, his cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Oh my darling, are you alright?" Izabella brushed away the dirt on his cheek and plucked the blades of grass from his hair. He nodded and frowned when his eyes opened, the very horse that threw him off was looking down at him, and its mouth agape in a way he perceived to be a smile.

"I'm quite fine, I assure you. Admittedly it's not the first time I've been thrown from a horse." Regardless of his words and assurance Izabella led him back to the house and fretted over him like a mother over an infant. She checked for scraps and cuts but found none, the only damage was a bruise on his forearm. The day though, quickly passed as it always did. Upon filling her small glass at nightfall she smiled noticing that Adam had already filled the icebox once more.

When she entered her room James was looking on with serious contemplation, his sketchbook open in his lap, brows deeply furrowed. She had already emptied the stained glass and set it aside before his concentration broke and refocused on her. "May I draw you once more?" Izabella agreed with a nod and sat up, waiting for instructions on how she should pose.

His hand brushed across her back and up to her hair, pulling it to one side, he fought to urge to smirk as he could feel her shudder at his touch. She followed his instructions, leaning on one arm, the sheet pulled up to her hips. Izabella hated that she could not see his face this time as he sat behind her, sketching her from the back. She watched the minutes pass by on the mantle clock. "James?" The vampiress waited for a moment before his reply came.

"Yes?" She smiled, though he would not see it and began quoting to him what she had read for the hundredth time only a few days ago. "Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love."

His laugh was soft but she could still hear that charcoal was moving on paper. "Are you trying to distract me, sweet?" She did not respond as he had already cracked her schemes but after an hour passed arms were wrapping around her waist, his nose was nuzzling into her neck. "You are exquisite." He breathed, inhaling her scent, she hummed and placed her hands atop his, which rested on her stomach. James only let her go when she turned to face him, his hands slipped up to rest on the base of her neck, gently pulling her forward until their lips met, melding together perfectly. She fell asleep with the feeling of his lips lingering on her own and knew that when she awoke in the morn that same feeling would be revived, not that it ever left.


	21. 20

_How rare and beautiful it is to even exist._

 _The Brighton Estate, London; July 29, 1914_

 _Europe was at war._ The Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, had been assassinated and within the following hours all the tension that had been building up over decades finally boiled over a filled pot and all hell broke loose. Murder of the Austrian Heir and his Wife. It was the headline of the Daily Mail. Izabella looked at James uncertainly as he read the paper. She waited for a reaction but what she got was the more unsettling than she could have ever anticipated. He calmly refolded the paper, setting it back on the breakfast tray and stood, moving to the wardrobe to pull out his uniform.

"James?" Izabella pulled the cotton sheet around her, watching as he dressed her bottom lip eternally caught between her teeth. She could see his hands shaking, nerves she supposed and she too stood to begin buttoning the khaki colored shirt. In haste, he adjusted the suspenders and Belle tightened the knot of the dull green tie. The colors only made his eyes look bluer.

"I'll return soon, darling, but I must speak with the other officers about this." He kissed her forehead but she held onto his tie, straightening for a second time before pressing the lapels of his coat down as well. The Captain touched her cheek, the action was filled with longing and remorse but he quickly decided to lean forward and kiss her upon her lips, if only so she would not remember the troubled look in his eyes.

She could not forget what she had seen in his blue eyes and with a sadness lingering in the air he left from her room and down the stairs to head out to the stables. Leaving Belle to watch from the window as he rode down her drive at a mad pace. The vampiress ventured down the hall to one of the spare rooms and knocked, despite knowing that Adam would be asleep. There was no reply and with a heavy sigh she opened the door anyway, he was lying in the center of the bed, curled into the surrounding blankets and fast asleep.

Izabella stepped closer the bed, her step light enough that even the old floor did not creak under her foot and with the same nimbleness she sat on the bed and laid next to him, her cheek pressed into his back. Before she knew it sleep had engulfed her body and had it not been for Adam's movements she would have likely slept until James's return. "Belle, what are you doing?" When she opened her eyes it was dull green ones that stared back at her, piercing through her being. Her mouth opened to speak but she closed it back, her teeth grinding together.

"He had to go and speak with the others, war is nearly upon us." The way Adam's jaw clenched at the mention of war did not go unnoticed but Belle could not bring herself to question what he may know. He stood before she could place her hand upon his, jerking away from her touch in a way that made her brows furrow.

"I got these for you." He plundered around in the old desk in the corner of the room, withdrawing a stack of four books. Adam sat the books in front of Izabella, watching her curiously as she opened the first one to see the contents, and then the second one as well. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up.

"Medical books?" Silence hung in the air and suddenly she realized, or thought she did. "Is this because of your dream? Is that why you have been giving me these books?" When he did not answer she took his silence as a yes. "Tell me Adam, please." He searched her face, contemplating if he should tell her, if she should know now what he had seen in his dream. He couldn't tell her now, even the tears glistening in her golden eyes could not make him tell.

Gathering the books close to her chest she left the room and retreated to a room she rarely used anymore. The door had likely not been open in three decades and she knew that dust would have gathered on nearly every surface imaginable. It was her father's old study and she had left it as such, nothing had been moved. She pushed the door open and quickly moved to the Rococo bureau plat, dropping down the stack of books before retreating to her room and picking up the ones he had previously left her as well.

Izabella pulled out the straight back chair, adorned with gold fixings and sat, beginning to fumble in the drawers for a piece of parchment that had grown even more discolored, and from behind her ear she pulled out the iridium tipped fountain pen, glancing to the corner of the desk to see the quill and ink pot still standing resiliently against time.

The vampiress took the first book from the stack and observed the title. _A Treatise on the Operations of Surgery with a Description and Representation of the Instruments Used in performing them. Treatment of Wounds, Abscesses, and Ulcers_. Dated 1831. Sighing she turned past the title page and began reading the content and making notes within the pages and on her piece of paper, she annotated the text ferociously leaving not a single page or diagram without some sort of note. Within an hour she had devoured the first book, the content permanently committed to her memory, and so she placed the book aside and picked up the next to repeat the process over again. This time she would read through the _Boston Medical and Surgical Journal_ , dated 1850, and the next would be the first volume of the _System of Medicine_ , which was more recent than the others, being dated 1886.

The last she was able to read fully before she heard the sound of hooves stamping up her drive was the one that worried her the most, the one she made sure to keep in the front of her mind despite the other three books contained. It was specifically on blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds. The records began in 1794 and had been ongoing and updated up until the start of the twentieth century. Closing the book she looked over the three pieces of parchment that had been filled from top to bottom and from edge to edge, on both the front and back and sighed. Should what she feared come to light she had an idea brewing her mind, a crazy idea at that, but after reading the numerous books and her prior knowledge of medicine it seemed to her that if James went to war she would follow.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; August 5, 1914_

 _Great Britain Declares War on Germany_ that was the headline on this morning's paper. The day had passed all too quickly and it terrified Belle to no end, she felt like she was already losing him. She walked with James, knowing tomorrow he would be gone, he would be traveling the country recruiting young men to fight in the war and before she would see him again he would be shipped across the channel.

"Belle, darling, I need to ask you something." The silence between them had been long and close to intolerable since he had returned from speaking with Jamie. There was a twisting feeling in her gut and somehow she seemed to know, she seemed to know that he was going to break her heart. They both stopped walking down her drive and he moved to stand in front of her, taking her hands into his own. The ring in his pocket was heavy though in truth it weighed little, it had been that way for several days now. He could not wait for the date he wished to ask her on, he truly did not even know if he would be alive to see that date.

"I know it is incredibly and unforgivably selfish of me to ask you this, with the war coming, but I can't let you go," he breathed, and she pleaded with him, silently, her eyes speaking a thousand words. "I do not want to go to my death without having known what it is to be truly and unequivocally happy, for once in my life."

"James, stop it!" she hissed, tearing from his hold and turning away from him, eyes bright with unshed tears. Frantically, she shook her head, daring to look back, his eyes glistened with his own tears. Izabella placed her hands on his chest and leaned her forward, her head resting just below his chin. "You're not going to die, James. You can't know that." Her voice was quiet.

"I know there is a good chance I may not return, and that is why I know this is selfish to ask of you," he replied firmly. Unable to move, Izabella watched, breath hitched, as he kissed her knuckles and sank down to one knee. "Izabella Brighton, will you marry me?" She wanted to say no, she desperately wanted to say no and run. A month ago she would have not hesitated to say yes, but now she was hesitant. It was not because she doubted her feelings for the man, she loved him wholly, but it was because of the timing and manner in which he was asking. He asked her like it was his final wish before parting with this life, he asked her now only because he thought he was going to die.

Izabella did not even notice the ring he had pulled from his breast pocket, her tears blurred her vision; she could not even make out his handsome face. Her silence worried him, but she nodded, slowly and unsurely. "Yes." He did not smile at her response, he only felt his heart drop when he slipped the rose gold ring onto her finger. James rose to his feet and wrapped her in his arms.

The clouds above their heads burst, rain soaked them to the bone and made their tears indistinguishable from the droplets of precipitation. Izabella's chest heaved and it only caused him to cry harder as well, but he would be fighting for her. Their clothing was drenched and despite the coolness of the rain James offered her his hand and they walked back to the house, slowly, savoring every last moment as morning would come swiftly.

Adam played a somber piece on piano, it only ripped Izabella's heart further in two. They were standing in her room once more, inches apart, not speaking a word as drops of water fell from their clothes and hair to the polished wooden floor. Deftly the vampiress pulled the coarsely knitted tie from his jacket and undid the knot at his neck, it was the first piece of clothing to fall to the floor. The soft echo of the rest of his uniform is all that filled the air until he held Izabella's trembling hands still and began to untie the strings on the back of her gown, it pooled at her feet and James could not help but reach out to stroke her cheek. She stepped forward and closed the distance, their bare chests were pressed tightly to one another's when his lips met hers.

Now they stood before each other, unclothed and vulnerable. Delicate and cold fingers traced over his collarbones, up his neck and to his lips. His skin was like marble beneath her hands. She would memorize him before he left, the tiny imperfections, the patterns of his freckles, what his touch felt like and what his voice sounded like, she would learn it by heart.

"Belle." She marveled at the sight of him, the flat planes of his chest, how his broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist. She had seen him in this state of undress many times before, but this time it was different. Gently, ever so and always gentle the Captain laid her to the bed his hands bracing his weight above her. "Are you certain? You know I would wait a thousand years for you." Her eyes fluttered shut and she nodded knowing that he did not have a thousand years, she did, but he did not. He kissed her palms, fingertips, and clavicles, she was sweet, and he would savor it in the time of battle, the sound of her laugh, the sight of her smile, her scent, he had to remember it, he had to, this was what he would be fighting for.

She arched beautifully at his touch and he felt as if he were looking upon divinity itself. He touched her with reverence, he kissed her with the same notion as well. Izabella touched his cheek, her thumb dragging over his lips. She indolently draped one of her legs over his waist and he needed no more words to hold it firmly in place, his hips pressing against hers. Her eyes widened and lips parted when she felt him pressed against her center and it was only natural that she would open her legs wider for him.

The vampiress moved her hand to trace over his neck but he caught it within one of his and pressed his thin lips to the inside of her wrist and could feel her lively pulse beating beneath the pale skin. "James." She whispered his name and rolled her hips against his. His move to pull Belle atop him was agile and she gasped when he propped himself on his hands splayed behind him. Her hands ran over the sides of his neck and into his short hair, unable to withstand her desire for him she raised her hips up and pressed back down, her heat engulfing his entire length. Golden eyes slipped shut and her mouth hung open but James watched the way her face contorted.

Never had she felt so complete and it was a feeling she could only have with James, it did not come from Adam, nor from Lucius, but from the charming Calvary Officer who was above all mortal. She felt his breath at the hollow of her neck and opened her eyes again, looking down to see the clearest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen staring back at her with emotions too numerous to count, but she tried, there was love, lust, and adoration; though lurking in his eyes was also fear, he would never tell her that he was afraid but she could see it like a word written clearly on a page. "Belle." When her left hand rested on his shoulder it was only then did she really notice the ring that was now there.

It was almost too much for her to bare, the feel of him, his scent with ever-present hints of leather and saddlewax and above all the sweet smell of his blood, which was rushing through his veins. She could see the vein in his neck throbbing, begging to be breached but she forced her head to loll back. Izabella moved and it shattered her world, there was a nagging voice in the back of her mind saying this was the last time she would ever see him, this was the last night they would be together. Her fingers threaded loosely into wet his hair, half cradling his face when she kissed him.

James moved his lips against hers slowly, savoring every moment, even the way her breasts moved against his chest with each roll of her hips. Her wanton noises only drove him that much closer to madness, to condemning everything and remaining here, with her. One of his hands wrapped around the small of her back, pressing her closer for several long moments but he could stand it no longer when he rolled Izabella onto her back, still buried deep inside her.

When they moved, they moved as one, one whole entity that had been created because of a ripple in time. Two people were born almost worlds away yet with each other it was like they had always known the other. James kissed her neck, repeatedly, and the small groan that left his lips was unavoidable as Belle raked her nails down his back. He had a perfect view of her body, with the way her breasts rose and fell with each breath and her eyes, hazily staring up at him. Though what he found to be the most beguiling was the way her lips pulled back, before his eyes he saw her fangs extending and it reminded him briefly of her lethality and the reason she had shied away from intimacy over the months.

"James," she cried his name, her back arching from the bed, her head pressing further into the pillows. A single tear fell from her left eye and it did not go unnoticed by the Captain, he suppressed the growing lump in his throat and slowed his rapacious pace. She trembled as her body grew taut, clenching around him with sheer neediness.

The Captain pulled one of her legs over his waist and fell back to his side pulling Izabella with him. She moved her hands to his face for a moment, kissing him soundly and as his hand slipped away from her face to pull her closer she followed, lacing her fingers through his own. She could feel it rising within her, from the pits of her belly, the embers that he had created months ago now formed an all-encompassing flame and it consumed them both. Her body trembled from the immense pleasure and his grew rigid against hers. She whispered his name like an unholy prayer but he could say nothing except for the soft murmur of her name.

In the moments after they did not speak, there was no words to be spoken, but alas James brushed a lock of scarlet hair from her face. "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love... I love... I love you. And I never wish to be parted from you from this day on, though I know that wish will not come true." Her eyes raised to meet his, both gold and blue were clouded by tears, Izabella touched his cheek, an elegiac smile appearing on her lips.

"I will be with you, James," her hand slipped down to rest over his beating heart, "in here, in your heart. And I too love you, eternally." For the final time that night their lips met and in restless thoughts they each fell into sleep wrapped in the other's arm but even so, the future did not seem so bad.

Izabella watched him ready Bill the next morning, saddling the horse, he would not see battle, unlike James. She stepped forward and clutched to the lapels of his jacket, looking up into eyes that never failed to leave her on the verge of breathlessness. "Come back to me, promise me that James." Her voice was quiet and quivering but he nodded and tipped her chin up, kissing her quickly on the lips.

"I will try my best to return to you and marry you." Her lips trembled and his heart nearly broke as he could not help but feel this would be the last time he saw her. "Never forget my love for you, Izabella." How could she? He was the first person in centuries that made her feel cherished and loved completely. Her pale hands reached to cradle his face, James sighed and settled his leather clad hands atop hers.

"I love you, my darling Captain." His smile was doleful at best and hers was no better. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers once more. She wanted to steal him away and protect him from the war, she could not bear the thought of not having him in her life. Tears streaked her porcelain skin as he mounted the old horse, his bags strapped onto the saddle. James gave her one last longing look, turning away before he convinced himself to do something regrettable and just like that he gone, riding off in the morning sun leaving Izabella alone.

Izabella Brighton fell to her knees, an ache forming in her heart. She looked in the distance, in the direction he had gone, begging him not to go where she could not follow.


	22. 21

_Home is behind, the world ahead._

 _London; August 7, 1914_

She had read each and every one of the books Adam had given her, twice over even, committing them to memory. Izabella looked down at the fading leather bag she had placed on the foot of her bed, within was two thin dresses that had seen better days and two of the books she had deemed to be most useful for war time medicine; along with her small booklet of notes from the readings and the single picture she had of James. It had faded around the edges but was now in a small frame, he looked handsome as ever, even though his face was serious and there was no smile to be found on his lips. Letting out a long breath she secured the latches on the bag and picked it up, unwavering.

Adam was aware of the scheme that had been brewing in her mind but he doubted her commitment, to leave London, to leave for a human. He thought her to be insane. When she knocked on his door in the early hours that the sun was still rising he was shocked to see her valise in hand, her eyes filled with conviction and determination. "You are following him, then?" There was a hint of loathing in his voice, it was not that he detested James, he had grown fond of the mortal, finding him more tolerable then most. He loathed him because he had the ability to break Izabella, he could break her heart with his mortality.

"Yes. I am." He had never heard her voice be so strong yet so broken, it pulled at his heart in ways he wished it wouldn't. Hesitantly, Adam lifted his hand to her cheek and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Be safe, I wish you quick return." She nodded and picked up her suitcase. She had said nothing to her staff, they did not know of her engagement, nor that her Captain had been sent to war, above all they did know she was leaving as well. Izabella did not make a sound as she descended the stairs and slipped from her door. Ellis though, was already tending to the horses when she pulled open the barn doors, the sight of the young stable boy made her jump.

"Ms. Izabella?" He looked over her appearance, hardly believing that she would go off without a finer dress, but of course he said nothing, nor did he ask questions.

"Will you drive me to town, Ellis?" The boy nodded and went to retrieve a harness for Scatha, while he prepared a cart Belle looked in the stall where Gail stood, her tail swishing. From the pack at the door she pulled out a sugar cube and returned, holding it out for the horse to take. She only took her attention away from the prized mare when Ellis had pulled the cart around. Silently she sat on the bench beside the young boy as he snapped the reins, urging the horse to begin moving down the dirt drive.

The woods passed in a blur regardless of the moderate pace they were traveling. She sat in silence until Ellis looked up at her, his brown hair a ruffled mess and his green eyes filled with youth and unconventionally optimistic hopes. "Are you alright, Miss?"

She glanced over at the boy and nodded, though it was rather unconvincing, "Yes, Ellis. I will be fine." He did not speak of it again. The first buildings of London came into sight as the late morning began. The city had an air of sickness but it was quickly forgotten when more people filed into the street. Lines of men had formed, all signing up for an almost imminent death. Many were nothing more than boys, under the belief that once they had experienced war they would return home a man. Scatha's iron shoes clacked on the cobble pavement and Izabella watched on, sickened by the display of patriotism.

Ellis halted the cart near one of the city hospitals, a small smirk on his lips. She looked at the boy and almost smiled as he went on, turning around to return back to the estate. Izabella looked around, clutching the handle of her bag tightly and gathering her nerve she stepped closer to the small line of women, all of which were dressed in white nursing dresses. She fell in at the back of the line and waited until she was called up to the table.

"Name, please?" The nurse that sat writing down the information was plump, with a kind face that was only just beginning to wrinkle, and tucked beneath the white bonnet was greying hair.

"Izabella Brighton, ma'am." She held her chin high but the woman hardly looked up asides from sparing a three second glance.

"Step aside and collect your uniform." She did as she was commanded, stepping to the side where numerous grey-blue dresses were laid out with white aprons. The material was coarse and would hardly be comfortable in the summer heat and humidity but when she held one of the dresses up it appeared that it would fit her body, if not be a little big. Other nurses stood by, ushering the volunteers along and she had no choice but to file in and follow.

The room they were led too was far from full, which was saddening as the need for nurses would undoubtedly grow. Izabella glanced down at the dull smock in her hands and grimaced until someone bumped into her back. Belle turned and looked at the woman though she appeared to be nothing but a girl. "I am so sorry. I'm afraid I wasn't looking where I was walking." Doe-like eyes met Izabella's and for a moment the young girl did nothing but stare until she gathered her bearings and extended her hand. "Ethel Elliot."

Belle extended hers as well and firmly shook the girl's hand, a brief smile flashing across her lips, but as soon as it came it was gone. "Izabella Brighton."

Ethel gasped and it was like everything came together in her mind, her smile was far too giddy for the atmosphere of the room and what they had signed up to do. "I knew you seemed familiar, you are the one who throws such lavish parties?" Belle nodded. "I would have never imagined you would be volunteering for the war effort." The vampiress was not sure whether she should be offended that the people of London thought her to be too selfish to volunteer to help others, but regardless she did not dwell on the opinions of others.

Tersely she pulled the corner of her lips up hoping that Ethel would leave her be. "Everyone has to do their part to ensure our boys make it home." Izabella frowned as Ethel still stood in front of her, she could not see the growing annoyance in the woman's features.

"Who is your boy? If you don't mind be asking such a question." Ethel raised her brow, knowing that a lady like Izabella had to have someone.

"James Nicholls." Her voice softened exponentially at the mention of her fiancé.

"Olivia's brother?" The question was redundant as there was only one Nicholls family in London and when a voice called all of the ladies to gather it saved her from any more questions. Izabella stepped closer to the raised platform, her eyes glued upon the nurse and doctor that stood above them. The vampiress drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly she had to be brave, for herself and for James.

 _Devon; August 7, 1914_

"You have to clear your mind Jim. Heaven knows you do not need to be fretting over Izabella when you're about to face a million German guns." The Captain nodded, understanding that what Jamie was saying was true. He did not need to worry over Belle, she would be safe in her home, and if he returned she would be waiting for him. "Now off you go, find yourself a good mount, my friend." James straightened his jacket and climbed into the backseat of the car, awaiting the day and dreading the next.

James was apprehensive of finding a new horse to grow accustomed to riding in a short span of time, especially when he would ride said horse into battle. He wished Bill was still young enough to go with him, but alas the horse was not fit for strenuous riding anymore, let alone to be used in a full on charge. The Major had placed him in overseeing the recruitment process for Devon as well, hoping that it would help him clear his mind and focus on the war.

The car rattled and shook along the dirt road into the city, people had already gathered in the marketplace and streets, awaiting the arrival of the army. Captain Nicholls stepped down from the car and searched the others that had followed. "Perkins!" The Sergeant was quick to come forward and stand at attention.

"Captain Nicholls." His voice was gruffer than usual, the mustache on his upper lip had been trimmed and twitched unpleasantly as he awaited a command.

James scanned the growing crowd before turning back to Perkins. "Keep an eye open for a sturdy horse." An hour passed before the Sergeant was returning, beckoning the Captain to follow along as he had found a horse that was built to withstand anything and everything.

His name was Joey, he had belonged to a boy named Albert and in fact he still did. The boy's protests and loyalty to the animal was touching and James had promised to return the horse when he could. He could not bear to break two hearts in three days so when the war was won the thoroughbred horse would come back to Devon, to the Narracott farm. The horse was magnificent, James had actually smiled upon seeing the beast. Thirty guineas wasn't nearly enough to purchase a horse as fine as Joey, he knew that. But it was all he had on his person at the time.

After a long moment he handed the horse over to Perkin's charge and headed back to the car. He hardly looked in the direction of the couples saying their farewells for it reminded him of his sweet Belle. For a moment he could have sworn he saw her standing in front of him, the vibrant head of scarlet curls was unmistakable but then he blinked and she was gone. He could still see the heartbreak in her golden eyes and how woeful her smile was and feel how pained her kiss had been, but the women around him this day cheered, proud that their suitors and husbands had the privilege to fight for their country.

The Captain quickly looked away and wiped the single tear that had betrayed his eye before returning to the backseat of the car. Rocky countryside passed as they returned to the base for a brief period of training, though no amount of training could prepare them for this kind of war. Everything passed in a blur, even as he commended Perkins to be gently with Joey and carried on the light conversation with Charlie.

When activities for the day had settled and dinner had been served James walked to the edge of the camp, taking his sketchbook and pencils as well. He opened the leather cover to see a familiar and loved face, it was the last picture he had drawn of Belle, perhaps he stared at it longer than he should have but before the light died he pulled out a blank piece of paper and began to write.

 _To my dearest Belle,_

 _I miss you already, truly, I do. You entertain my thoughts constantly and I do not know whether it is a blessing or a curse, perhaps both. I saw a golden crested finch today, hiding away in its nest and it reminded me of the ones that love to torment your garden. From there I remembered all the fond memories we have created in that patch of flowers._

He gritted his teeth, feeling as if writing was pointless as his words seemed to bring him sorrow, but he continued.

 _I have found a mount, much to my delight, he is a wonderful horse and I wish you could see him as you would undoubtedly love him. I might even daresay he could give Topthorn a run for his money. His name is Joey, he came from a small farm in the Devon countryside. When all this is over I think we should visit as it is a lovely little town._

Yes, he thought, he would make it a point to visit Devon with Izabella should he return. He knew she had been once before but it had to of been decades ago. James glanced up from his paper to see some of the men gathered around a small fire before nightfall, their talk was too hopeful for what would come in the next days.

 _We leave in two days for France, truth be told I am frightened, but you give me strength and this stubborn horse that I leased today gives me strength as well. This horse, though, is going to carry me through the way and, with any luck, out the other side of it. By the time you receive this letter it is likely I will already be gone from the country. I intend to keep my word and return to you Izabella Brighton, should all go well I will be home by the spring of next year. A spring wedding sounds lovely, don't you agree?_

 _All my love,_

 _Captain Nicholls_

James slipped the folded piece of paper into an envelope, tucking it in the front of the book so it could be sealed and sent. He looked down at his sketch and sighed, ripping it away from the booklet and folding it into a small square and slipped it into his breast pocket, dropping his book and letter off in his small office and room before heading to the stables.

The horses neighed and whinnied but even their demeanor was different, they could sense the disheartened mood of their riders and smell their fear of dying and thusly it became their own. Joey's stall was next to Topthorn's, the two had taken a keen yet competitive liking to each other in such a short amount of time. James pushed open the stall door and sat on the stack of hay bells and Joey lowered himself to his knees as well. "How's my bonny boy?" The Captain asked, his voice low.

Long minutes passed as he stared at the horse, remembering the heartbroken look in Albert's eyes when he realized what his father had done, and when he realized that James had already chosen regardless of his persistent dissuasion. James reached behind him and pulled out the sugar cube he had picked up on the way in and held it out to the horse. "We have to protect each other Joey. That way we can come home and you can see Albert again and I can marry the light of my life." He knew there was a slight smile on his lips, whenever he thought of Izabella he could not stop himself from smiling, even now. Joey whinnied softly and tossed his black mane from one side to another as if agreeing.

"It's okay to be afraid, Joey. I'm afraid; but that's where bravery comes from, so we have to be brave too, boy, we have to be brave for Albert and Belle." _Be brave_ , he repeated to himself as he patted Joey on the neck and stood, gathering himself before venturing back to his room. _Be brave_ , he said again as he melted the wax to seal the envelope that contained his first letter home. _Be brave._


	23. 22

Amburst Park Hospital, London; August 9, 1914. 4 a.m.

The head nurse ushered the woman to and fro, commanding them about like dogs as there was much to be done in a short amount of time. "Let's move ladies! Time to head over to port. Our ship leaves at six on the dot." Izabella had lifted box after box of supplies onto the backs of horse drawn buggies and into the backseats of cars. Her work was methodical and precise, it was something that Nurse Paddox had noted on the first day of training, and something that would be valued in the field. Belle could not accredit her skills to her many years alive, nor could she raise suspicion that she simply retained all of the needed information from reading through books so she just simply nodded and claimed it to be because of working with horses and with garden tools, but still the others were wary.

"Belle," her brows furrowed at the sound of her name and she knew the voice all too well. Adam appeared from the darkness, a piece of parchment and two large flasks in his arms. Glancing around to see the others preoccupied she rushed over to him.

"What are you doing Adam? It's almost daybreak!" She could not help but scold him and he laughed as he expected nothing less from Belle. Her eyes narrowed at the vampire but he only shrugged and offered a slight roll of his eyes.

"I brought this." He pushed an envelope forward and immediately she knew it would be from James. "And these. I've kept them at room temperature for some time and ran several tests for purity. They'll last for a couple more days, at least until your settled." Izabella took the three items and looked up at Adam for a moment longer, her eyes clouded with tears as she realized he had not forsaken her. His motions and touch was placid when he wiped away the few drops of saline water that betrayed her eyes. The commotion was growing louder around them but before slinking back into the shadows the vampire leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring a set of words she would never hear.

Everything was packed for the ride to the port and she was so focused on the task at hand that she had forgotten her suitcase, if it was not for Ethel rushing it to her from their quarters it would have undoubtedly been left behind. Twenty-five nurses began clambering into carriages and onto horses, Izabella climbed onto the bench of one of the buggy's holding supplies and the young nurse that had stuck close by joined her.

The clopping of hooves and the rattle of engines was all Izabella could focus on as they made their way through desolate London streets. As anticipated the ocean liner turned warship was waiting for them at the port and men dressed in military and crew uniforms quickly unloaded everything, stashing the crates within the cargo hold. Belle looked at Ethel from the corner of her eye to see the girl staring up at the ship in awe. "I always dreamed of being on one of these boats, but I would be going the other way you see. To America, not France." The vampiress could hear the lingering sadness in the girl's voice and offered an empathic smile. The ramp was lowered and the men were all too eager to extend their hands to help the ladies board safely.

Ethel and Izabella were shown their room for the time being, it was a first class suite and while the young nurse was thrilled to be in the lap of luxury, even for such a short time Belle excused herself and made for the ship's deck at the stern to see London one more time before departing.

Exeter, Devon; August 9, 1914. 2 a.m.

"Get a move on men, we haven't all day." It was Perkins barking orders at the newcomers, Charlie had a permanent grimace on his face as he led the privates in the correct directions. James looked up from the dock at the massive ship anchored in the small port of the city, still shrouded in the darkness of the night but from the smokestacks he could make out red ashes making their way into the morning sky. It looked out of place to say the least, RMS Olympic was what they once called her but now the ship had been converted to serve the army and its needs and right now it would serve as a transport vessel to cross the channel into and dock in French water.

The Captain had little more than the clothing that was on his back and the saddle that was being sent to his room aboard the ship, he would have little need for anything else. Horses were marched two by two up the causeway and into the belly of the ship, the trip was in fact relatively short in duration granted that the seas were not too turbulent, the three hundred horses aboard would only have to deal with cramped quarters for five hours at most.

"This is a fine ship," the Lieutenant came to stand beside James, the others still were in the process of boarding as the cargo had been loaded and secured. "It's a pity they've turned her into this though." The Captain agreed, they stood before the resilient sister of the Titanic, once a luxury liner now bore the makings of a military ship but on the inside it would still hold the elegantly carved staircases that were soon to be scarred by boots and the carpets to be stained.

"Come on lads, it is time, we've got to make it to London by six a.m. The volunteers will be waiting at the dock," James turned to Jamie and nodded, the three officers boarded and minutes later the anchor was being pulled and the journey had begun, for better or for worse they did not know. Many of the soldiers quickly went to their rooms as the day had begun early for sleep. James sat on one of the few chairs left at the bow of the ship and watched as the sky began to turn from black to shades of pink and orange as the sun began to rise. He thought it to be the last pleasant thing he would see until the wars end and for the hours that blindly passed he was thankful for as well.

The dull hum of the engines below reverberated through him and the ocean wind made a mess of his short blond hair, had it not been for the sight of land and in the distance the skyline of London he would have returned to his quarters. He leaned over the railing and watched as the woman boarded and the boxes they carried were taken to the hold. They were not even docked for a full hour before the ship was pulling out again.

For a long while the deck remained silent, only a few people came up to steal glances at London, it was the last they would see of their home until it came time to return. The Captain turned to return below deck but as he saw Charlie coming up the stairs he remained.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss. I'm afraid my mind is scatter at the mome-." James heard Charlie apologizing to one of the nurses that he had seemingly bumped into but when the Lieutenant quickly ended mid-sentence he could not help but stop and turn taking in the rare sight.

The girl smiled, half tittering and Charlie nearly fainted, he was never one to believe in love at first sight but perhaps he had found her. "No harm done, sir. But please call me Ethel."

"Charlie." Ethel did a partial curtsy before remembering her reasoning for coming on the deck to begin with and her previous state of moderate panic set back in.

"I was actually looking for someone, she wandered off to heaven knows where." James stepped closer and lifted his chin, under any other circumstances he would have teased Charlie to no end about the girl that had made him fumble with his words, but now his curiosity was piqued. "She's about my height you see and she has red hair, it's honestly quite hard not to notice. Izabella is her name, she's very pretty actually. If you see her, can you tell her Nurse Paddox wants to speak with her?"

"Of course, Ethel." The girl smiled and blushed when Charlie lifted her knuckles to his lips, James eyes narrowed to slits and he could feel his blood begin to boil.

"Thank you, Charlie." She replied in a rush before turning and lifting her skirts to run back down the stairs in search of Belle. The lower ranking officer cautiously turned to where James stood, his jaw was clenched, in relief or anger he was not sure yet. How could she not tell him she was going to volunteer?

"James, you don't think?" Charlie looked on disbelievingly. He knew Izabella could be stubborn but to abandon safety and volunteer to march into a war zone, it was absurd, even for her. James did not have a single doubt, he knew it was her, it had to be.

"I'm going to find her before we dock in France, come hell or high water." The Captain replaced his cap and glanced around to see that asides from Charlie the Promenade was empty and almost if by an invisible bond he was pulled toward the reading room on the second deck. Cautiously he glanced through the stained glass inserts on the door to see a lone figure curled up in a chair near the far corner, a piece of paper on their lap.

Drawing in a deep breath he slipped through the doors with hardly a sound but it was not enough to fool her. Gold eyes darted up and for a moment she thought she was going mad. Izabella did not know what to say for once when her Captain's blue eyes were staring straight through her. Her eyes scanned over his face and she could clearly see he was angry, and that anger was directed towards her. "Will you please explain to me, Izabella, why you are on a ship to France?" His voice held no edge to it and was completely level and that is what scared Izabella the most.

She glanced down at the letter in her lap and the flask at her side before returning her gaze to James, he had moved closer to her. "I -I decided to volunteer. I just wanted to do my part." She stuttered, suddenly aware that she had never seen the Captain angry. I just want to protect you.

"Why you foolish woman? Do you realize that it will drive me to insanity knowing that you are here, in a war stricken country and I will not be there to protect you?" He began to pace the room, around the table and chairs and fixedly she watched his every moment, thinking of what she should say lest she worry him further. Now was not the time to drive a wedge in their relationship.

Izabella sighed and stood to her feet, stepping closer to the Captain. "I don't need protecting, James. I can handle myself, I've done so for two centuries. It is you I worry for." He frowned at her words but saw no point in sparking further argument, he had no right to control her actions and he knew that. He also knew she spoke the truth, she would be able to handle herself, she had done so long before he came into her life; but still he could not bear the thought of her being in a war zone.

James stopped his raucous pacing and stood in front of Izabella, taking her hands into his. "How did you get my letter so quickly?" She looked away, a meager smile working its way to her red lips, her eyes shifted back to him and he seemed to know the answer before she even spoke.

The vampiress stepped closer to the Captain and looked up at him from beneath her dark lashes. "Adam. He brought it to me before we departed from the hospital." James slipped his hands free and wrapped his arms around Izabella, not even giving her enough time to reciprocate, instead her arms remained at her sides. Her breath tickled his neck until he pulled back and led her to sit once more. There was silence between them this time and it frightened Izabella as it felt uncomfortable and foreboding of a more permanent kind of silence. Death. She picked at her hands and glanced to her side. "Please do not be angry with me; for I am very grateful we have this small amount of time together."

His hands reached out almost immediately after her words, cradling her face between his palms. "Don't think I'm not pleased to see you." She swallowed and nodded, his thumbs brushed over the cool skin of her cheeks and a warm smile stretched across the Captain's lips. "Believe me, you are a sight to behold." James felt he was staring at molten gold as he looked into her eyes, never once thinking that just a set of eyes could convey so much with speaking a single word.

"I promise I will be fine James, look after yourself and come back to me when this is over." She spoke only for his reassurance and she barely had time to finish before his lips were against hers. He never thought himself to be good with words, but the mouth was made for communication and nothing more articulate than a kiss. James cupped her face in his hands and he kissed her so deeply that she did not know who was breathing for who, but his mouth and tongue tasted like warm honey and tea. She did not know how long it lasted, but when she let go of him, Izabella missed it already.

Neither of them heard the door of the reading room open and close, the presence of the head nurse went completely unnoticed for several moments before the lady could watch no more. "Miss Brighton! I order you to stop fraternizing with the men and return to your quarters." Izabella looked at Nurse Paddox and back to James as she stood, but he followed, wrapping his hand around her wrist

The Captain did not release her when she turned but leaned down and captured her lips once more, breaking away only long enough to whisper, "Promise to give me a kiss on my brow when I am dead. -I shall feel it." Izabella touched his cheek, her eyes speaking a thousand words as she left the room.

"I knew you were trouble, Miss Brighton. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on you." Izabella rolled her eyes at the woman and felt like she was being drug away from a school crush by the ear. James stood in the center of the room for a moment longer, as he exited the room Jamie was walking towards him in the corridor, a look of relief flickering over the Major's face.

"There you are Jim! Charlie didn't know where you had ran off to." Jamie motioned for the Captain to fall in step, running over battle plans and strategies all the while James was still stuck on the way his and Izabella's kiss had felt like the last.

 _Dunkirk, France; August 9th. 5 p.m_.

"They fight a war and they don't know what for. Isn't that crazy? How can one man kill another and not really know the reason why he does it, except that the other man wears a different color uniform and speaks a different language?" Izabella looked over to Ethel as they began the required trek into the French countryside from port. The young girl had begun speaking of things she did not fully understand, condemning the Germans only because they were seen as the enemy, it left her in silence.

The vampiress would peek over her shoulder periodically to see the men unloading from the ship, drawing the horses out the bowel of the hull. The buildings grew smaller and soon she could not see the ship at all, there was only the open path that would lead them to the encampment and auxiliary hospital. The sun was high in the sky, the heat was stifling but they all marched on. Izabella loosened her grip on the reins of the two horses pulling the buggy of supplies.

"How bad do you think it will get?" She was taken aback by the sudden question coming from the young nurse. It was true she had seen many wars, each grew progressively more violent and catastrophic with weaponry advances. She remembered seeing for the first time the damage a lead bullet would cause. She remembered hearing the canon fire and seeing the splintered bones, the appendages of men blown clean off. Izabella remembered the mass graves from the American Civil War, yes, it was a feast, but the devastation had left a permanent mark in her memories. With every war came new horrors.

Izabella swallowed the lump in her throat and barely looked at Ethel as she kept her eyes on the open road. "I fear this will be a war like no other." The camp was set up near the town of Quiévrechain, on the border of France and Belgium. Canvases were strung from trees creating shelter and few tents had been prepared by the resident nurses. The woodland area was calm as the supplies were unloaded, one crate at a time. Only a handful of men were laid out on cots, their injuries superficial and sustained by their own doing but the French servicemen were in good spirits as a bowl of porridge was delivered to each.

Nurse Paddox shooed the woman that had been brought to this unit to their tents, briefing them on what need be said about working the front. Porridge was dished out for them as well, Ethel only poked at the meal unsure if it was fit to eat. When dishes were collected Izabella slipped inside the small tent and laid out her blanket on the ground as the cots and other furnishings had not arrived. From her bag she withdrew one of the flasks of blood and took a tentative sip, enough to satisfy her hunger for the night. The vampiress closed her eyes, only wishing to know that James was safe.

 _"Why would you give me the light once more for such simple terms?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the demiurge as he draped a long dressing gown over his naked stature. She looked down at the black rose that had yet again found a way into her hand. Lucius looked oddly pleased as she reclined in his bed, breasts exposed, lazily twirling the flower between her thumb and forefinger, but his mood dissipated when he thought of her question._

 _"Regardless of what others may think, I am not without a heart. It beats, just like yours, and I too have known loss. More painful than you could ever imagine." The warlock sat back down on the edge of the bed and tentatively Izabella sat up, setting the rose aside and wrapping the threadbare sheet around her form._

 _"Tell me, Lucius." Izabella's voice was hypnotic and regardless of his power he would succumb to her wish. He hated the control he had allowed this vampiress to have over him for the day. Perhaps that was her power, the ability to control men, shaking his head he turned and sat back on the bed as well._

 _"I had a wife once, you remind me of her." Belle's back went straight when she felt his hand against her skin. "We lived in Rome. She was a healer, the daughter of a highly esteemed Roman general. Flavius Aetius; but her name was Drusa, as she grew so did her knowledge and so did her desire for learning the darker arts of healing. I taught her what I knew and she excelled in the craft, we soon married. She was seventeen, I was already nearing two hundred." Lucius chuckled at the thought and Izabella smiled, she loved hearing of love and seeing it written so clearly in people's eyes._

 _"The day her mother was giving birth to a son, she died and the child was stillborn. Drusa used one of the most ancient dark spells and while it could not save her mother it did bring her brother to life. News travelled quickly of the miraculous feat but it sparked fear in many. They called her a necromancer, a pythoness, a witch. Flavius was furious about the loss of his wife and condemned Drusa with the support of the court._

 _I was restrained and forced to watch as they crucified her and then set fire to the cross. It is a pain no one should know, to watch someone they love die, to cradle their broken and burned body." Izabella placed her hands on the man's shoulders and pressed her cheek into his, she could feel the rage and sorrow that still flowed through him and it felt like nothing she had ever experienced before._

 _"I thank you, for sharing this and for the light." He turned and her hands slipped to the musculature of his chest and absentmindedly the warlock tucked a smaller rose behind her ear._

 _"Remember our terms and the favor you have promised me. Should you wish to speak to me once more take this rose and whisper invenietis." He waved his hand and they were both clothed, the vampiress stood and so did Lucius. She looked at the obscure rose bud in her hand and back up to the strange man, a brief smile appeared on her red lips when she repeated the Latin phrase. "Invenietis."_

Izabella woke with a fright as a hand covered her mouth, but when her eyes flashed open she immediately saw the mop of black hair juxtaposed against frightfully pale skin and knew. She ripped away Adam's hand and bolted up. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was a hiss, if anyone saw him in her tent she would never hear the end of it from her superiors.

"We need to discuss something." His voice was level but she could tell he was already exhausted from warping the distance between London and Quiévrechain.

"Is this really the best time, Adam?" Izabella's words were terse, her golden eyes glowing in the darkness of the tent.

"Yes. If I tell you tomorrow it may be too late." She gasped when his hands wrapped around her waist and then the blanket was no longer beneath them but it was simply the forest floor. Twigs and branches poked at her back and legs and detritus clung to her white sleeping shift and hair. "Izabella." Adam's hand rested on the side of her neck, a pained expression took over his face as he shook his head. How could he tell her that he saw James die?

"Adam, tell me." He had never heard her voice be so firm and commanding, rolling off her he sat up and pursed his lips, regretting his decision to come already. "Adam, I swear if you do not tell me why you are here, I-..." She paused and gripped his shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at her once more. The vampire filled her silence with words.

"It's the Captain." Every ounce of color drained from Izabella's face and even her eyes darkened. "You asked about my dream, I saw him die, Izabella. I even asked Eve about the legitimacy and she called it a vision, but there was someone else in it as well. Someone that I have never seen." Tears welled in her eyes but never did fall, she was not filled with sadness because James was still alive, she could feel him; however, now she was filled with determination and recklessness to ensure he did not suffer the fate the vampire had described, a dangerous and potent combination. Adam did not have to detail the mysterious man he had seen for she already knew who it would be. The black roses that had been popping up in her garden should have been enough to tell her that the demiurge was not done meddling in her life.

" _Lucius_."


	24. 23

_"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."_

 _Quiévrechain, France; 7 p.m._

They had rode through the countryside after everything was taken care of at port, the journey was tiring but as they arrived at the camp everything settled in and finally felt real. The war, the possibility of being killed, the fact that Izabella had now placed herself in danger. It all finally felt real. The company came to a woodland before a great plain of land that seemed to stretch on for eternity. Light filtered in through the trees, the sun was setting and soon the next day would be upon them. James slipped from Joey's saddle and praised the beast before handing the reins to an attending soldier and accompanying Jamie to the table and tent that had been set up for revising the plans if need be.

James looked down at the map that had been spread out and to the Sergeant Major who had organized the lines of battle and marked the placement of the enemy's camp. He placed a finger on a cluster of markings and looked back to James and Jamie, explaining that the target was the German eleventh division. The group was naught but three miles away, settled into their own encampment, unaware to the English forces that sought to destroy them. The goal was to slide behind German lines and advance from the south, tricky business no doubt when they would be in enemy territory.

The Captain was unsettled by Jamie's declaration that what had been arranged was excellent, but James could not look away from the map. "Numbers?" He knew that it was best to be realistic in this situation, a company too large and the element of surprised hardly mattered anymore. They needed to know more of their weaponry as well.

Singh looked at James for a moment, seeing the doubt in his expression. "Six hundred. Infantry." The Indian had high hopes that with the Calvary this would be an easy victory.

"Twice our size..." No matter the words Jamie had spoken it would not change the fact that they would be charging into an armed camp with twice the number of men. They would be riding to their deaths. James only had a moment to take everything in before Jamie was shouting orders for they would ride at dawn, to victory or to death.

The Captain could not sleep that night, he wished for his sketch book but he had sent it away to Devon before they had left the country with two sketches of Joey and a letter for Albert. It was the least he could do for the boy knowing that the odds of living through the entity of the war was slim. From his chest pocket he pulled out two items, the first was his sketch of Izabella. In the low light from the moon shadows seemed to be cast across the paper making her portrait look all the more realistic. The second item was the pocket watch she had given him, he carried it around more as a token than the purpose it was built for.

He spoke to Joey again, as was becoming habit, only this time his words were not as hopeful and the horse even had sadness in its eyes. James returned to his tent as to not evoke suspicion and laid his head down on the hard ground only softened by a thin blanket and without knowing it he closed his eyes.

 _"Belle?" She was there, lying next to him and they were back in London sitting before a warm fire, swaddled in a plethora of blankets that had been strewn onto the floor._

 _"Yes, my darling?" Izabella leaned into him, her hand pressing gently into his cheek. She wore the dressing gown he had given her and the amethyst necklace, but what stole his attention was the ring on her finger. A promise._

 _"If this is a dream then I never wish to part from sleep." For some odd reason he knew this was a dream and nothing more, no matter how real it had felt. Her skin was soft under his fingertips but she only pulled back and looked on with a dismayed smile._

 _"Sadly I cannot keep you forever." It was then it was confirmed that this was a dream, perhaps meant to torture the Captain's mind with images of his beloved. She saw his expression succumb to darkness and raised her hand from his cheek, placing the other on his hand. "Though I wish to be able to." The vampiress kissed her Captain, softly, and he relished in the small amount of comfort her lips could provide, for they spoke everything she could not._

 _His hands curled around her biceps, dragging her body against his. James's voice was hardly above a whisper, perhaps it was because of fear, or maybe lust and longing as he could taste the tinge of blood in her kiss. "Then keep me, for forever. I fear my life will be too short for I could spend an eternity with you."_

 _Izabella turned her cheek away, three tears falling from her golden eyes. "You do not know what you are asking for, James. This life would suit you ill." She could not bear to meet his gaze, instead she looked on at his chest. The skin though was marred with two fresh scars, the first was position near his left clavicle, dangerously close to his heart. The second was closer to his hip. Her breath hitched as she processed what had caused them. Bullets._

 _James tipped her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. "But I would gladly suffer if it meant I was with you." If any sentence could break her heart and make her fall in love all over again simultaneously it was the one he had just spoken. His thumbs traced over the damp trail that tears had made. His smile was genuine for he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with this woman. This vampire. "Turn me, Izabella. I wish to never be parted from you by death."_

 _The vampiress tried to protest but at the soft exhalation of his name he had no choice but to silence her in the best way he knew how. Her eyes fluttered shut as his lips moved against hers but when she began reciprocating he pulled away, just enough for his words to caress her lips. "I know what I want, Belle. I will have no regrets." James pressed his forehead against hers, his hands on either side of her porcelain face._

 _"You say that now." Her lip quivered but the Captain only shook his head and placed his lips against hers once more. She could hear his heart beating, the dull thuds were a kind of music that rivaled all the great composers. Izabella drew in a shaky breath and looked up at him through her lashes._

 _"And I mean it, always." The vampiress hesitated before bringing her wrist to her mouth and breaking the pale skin with her fangs. Her own blood tasted sour and bitter to herself. James reached out and pulled her forearm closer to him._

 _"Drink, my darling." And he did, the Captain pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist in a light kiss before he tasted her blood on his tongue. It was sweet, like honey that perhaps is what disturbed him the most. His skin felt like it would catch fire, but still she urged him to endure the pain and drink. Blue eyes opened wide and Izabella watched as his pupils dilated and consumed the light of his irises. When she grew faint, her wrist was quickly snatched away from James's lips and as he had stopped drinking the pain from the transition was overbearing. He only hoped he had not screamed or begun to cry. She made no effort to restrain his trashing limbs, she could only watch transfixed until his body relaxed completely. With his parted lips she could see his sharpened canines and when she touched his cheek his skin was no longer warm, but just as cold as her own. Belle reached over for her flask and loosened the lid, dripping only a few drops into his mouth. At the blood lingering on his tongue his eyes flashed open and saw Izabella's smiling face and he knew everything would be alright._

James bolted upright from the hard ground on which he had slept, his heart was racing. It had felt so real. But his canines were not fangs and the light streaming through the tents half open slit did not burn.

Izabella opened her eyes and frowned, Adam had gone and with his vision still fresh in her mind she shuddered and exited the tent, still dressed in her uniform. There had been no more injuries and at the head nurse's permission she wandered in the woods near the auxiliary hospital. She stopped when she came across a large meadow at the opposite side the grass was tall and golden and in the middle tents had been pitched and dimming fires still kept boiling kettles and pots warm. It took several moments before she saw one men leave his tent and much to her dismay his uniform was German.

Keeping out of sight she walked the tree line, peering out as the sun began to rise. For a moment she thought about running, running far away. But then she felt the way her heart had jumped and glanced into the open field again. She could never leave James, she could not leave him behind. She knew there was no preventing what Adam had seen but should it occur then Izabella would rush to wherever her Captain was and do everything in her power to save him.

She could not bring herself to care about the consequences for leaving the camp for so long or leaving the perimeter of safety, she hardly cared about anything other than James in the moment. Something about the open field and the foreboding air that surrounded the plain caused her to stay close and she did, scaling a tree with low branches at the edge of the tree line, though she made it an effort to stay hidden lest the German's see her English uniform.

Izabella must have stayed perched in the old beech tree for hours. The sun was steadily rising, casting long shadows, thinking it best to move she descended the tree one branch at a time until she heard the faint rustle of the grass. Anyone else would have missed the delicate sound but her keen ears picked up the sound and so she remained in the lower branches of the tree, peeking out through the foliage.

"Tempting fate are we?" She had to clasp her hand over her mouth to prevent the scream that was growing in her throat at the voice that appeared next to her. Silently she cursed the man, she wanted to demand answers but knew he would give none. Instead she sat still, not speaking to the demiurge at her side, not even sparing him a glance. "Oh please, Izabella. You are acting crass." He chided, the tone of his cold voice sent shivers down her spine and set her body on alert. Why does Adam always have to be right?

Without even thinking of her actions, Izabella turned and her hand struck the man's pale face. "Perhaps if you stopped meddling in people's lives then I would not act in such a way." Her words were venom but the demiurge only smiled and looked back to the open field.

"Oh, you are concerned for your Captain?" He seemed to mock her, it glinted in his icy eyes but he took pleasure in the chaos and in her distress. His appearance had changed, for an immortal his face had begun to wrinkle and his skin looked to be a sickly yellow. No longer was his white hair smooth, but rather it frayed out, his clothes were worn and tattered, the long black overcoat out of place in the summer heat. Izabella shook her head to rid herself of his face.

"Lucius, if you are not here to help me than I request you leave, immediately." Her voice was calm and composed though inside she was shattering as she knew this man did not take well to commands that were made in broken pleas.

"Izabella, you know it does not work that way. I requested a favor and I am here to collect it." She shivered at his words, she knew well the oath she had taken but it had been over a century, why now would he be concerned for collecting his debt. Everything fell into place before her eyes, from Adam's dream to how she could almost smell death lingering in the air.

The vampiress turned and faced the man, her face twisted in anger. "So you are going to take James's life. The man I love and have vowed to marry?" She recalled the tale he had told of his wife, of Drusa, of pain and loss that he wished no one would ever feel again. Izabella gritted her teeth together. "You are a hypocrite, Lucius. What of your story with Drusa? What of my heart that you are so intent on breaking?" She cursed the emotion in her voice and how it wobbled at her words.

"Foolish girl, you do not have a heart. It is black and tainted. You are eternal and yet you try so hard to be mortal." Izabella almost screamed when the man gripped her chin and forced her eyes back to the plain where in the golden grass she could make out cavalrymen atop their horses ready for the charge. James was out there. "Now watch as impermanence strikes." His voice was a serpentine hiss.

The day had come quickly and now the regiment waded out into the sea of grass to remain hidden from the enemy's camp. It was nothing that had not been done before, a Salisbury formation meant to take and secure the land behind the camping Germans. Nothing sat right with the Captain on this day, from the surprise attack to the dream he had awoken from. Nerves were on edge and it was easy to see that each man had his doubts, none more so than Charlie and James; he wondered how easily Jamie could carry on with the threat that he could die this day and never return to his wife, or perhaps he did not care as much for James's sister as he let on. Either way, he would not dwell on such topics when so much as at risk.

He had tried to speak soothing words to Joey but even they seemed forced and the horse knew, he knew something was amiss as he was mounted. Be brave, the Major had shouted. Yes, now was the day to be brave. So they sat, atop their horses in the sun, each man with his sabre drawn. James had only had brief words with both Jamie and Charlie, wishing them luck, before they were marching forward and yet he had no idea that his Belle was so close.

James had said his part and as the horses and riders broke out of the grass it was only a simple word that would bring so much devastation. Charge. She had heard his cry though she could not single him out. They swept through the camp with an alarming amount of ease but that's when James saw the glint of metal in the sun hidden behind the low shrubs before the forest. Twice our size. The lines of the map flashed back through his mind. Infantry. Why did they ever believe that a man and his horse would be able to face the fire of a million guns?

The sound of gun drowned out everything except for the beating of his heart and the thudding of Joey's hooves on the ground. James could only watch as the horses and riders next to and in front of him fell. Izabella did scream at the first gunshot and with all her strength she fought the man holding her until they both fell from the branch they had been perched on and then she was running but there was nothing she could do, she could do nothing but look on.

When the barrel of one of the machine guns turned toward James he knew. He knew this was to be the end, he knew that he would not return home alive, he knew that he would break his promise to Belle, he knew he would not see smiling face on their wedding day. This was how it would all end and though he was a man in that moment of realization he felt fear and it was displayed clearly on his face. Suddenly he was not a brave soldier but only a frightened boy, scared of dying away from everything he knew and loved. He could not hear the shouts of the men around him, nor could hear the feminine scream of his name. He would die not knowing she was there to hold his body.

The first shot did not feel real, neither did the second and third. But they were, and he felt it in full when he tumbled off of Joey's back, yet the horse still ran through the tree line, unharmed. James felt the numbing pain spread across his body, the shock of what had just happened prevented him from feeling much of anything except a dull throbbing. He tried to lift his head to see how many of his company had made it alive but around him he saw nothing but corpses of men and horses alike. It was an image that would not leave him but he did not want to dwell on death so drawing in a shaky breath he looked at the cloudless blue sky and remembered the sweeter things in life. But he still had so much to say and in a war stricken field he spoke to himself.

His last words were spoken soft and delicate. His last words were spoken bravely in pain. His last words were spoken with eyes wide open. His last words were spoken with lips trembling. His last words were spoken as his last breath was drawn. His last words were spoken to no one but the sky as his eyes slipped shut.


	25. 24

_His last words were spoken soft and delicate. His last words were spoken bravely in pain. His last words were spoken with eyes wide open. His last words were spoken with lips trembling. His last words were spoken as his last breath was drawn. His last words were spoken to no one but the sky before his eyes slipped shut_

Izabella ran through the field, only slowing when she reached the beginning of the fallen men. Cautiously she looked over their faces, many had suffered being shot in a vital organ, the horses, while some had already passed, others writhed in pain, attempting to stand but failing. Blood filled the air, only this time she was too consumed with grief to feed no matter how the scent tickled her nose.

It was Charlie she saw first, his cap lying but a few feet away from his body. Dreading what she already knew to be fact, the vampiress knelt down beside the fallen soldier and placed her fingers to his neck. There was no pulse yet his skin was still warm. Blood stained his olive colored uniform, tears clouded her vision and as a final goodbye to her friend she leaned forward and kissed his forehead before standing and searching the bodies once again.

Lucius had gone for the moment for she could not feel his presence and for that she was grateful. Still she looked on, sickened by the sight before her until naught but a few yards away she saw the hair color of the man she loved and she ran once more. He was lying motionless and before she even sat next to him all hope had already left. The Germans were too preoccupied to notice the woman in the field, or to them maybe she looked to be a ghost.

"James." His name was nothing more than a hoarse whisper as it left her lips, her knees gave way next to his broken body and at first all she could do was stare down at him in disbelief. She counted the open wounds, three in total and was almost tempted to bind them. "Wake up, James." Izabella stroked his cheek which was cold, like hers, his blue eyes closed for eternity. Her body shook at the revelation that he was gone. There was no pulse, there was no life.

The scream that left her lips and extended to the heavens was filled with agony and sorrow. The birds flew from their perches in the nearby trees at the sound and the sun disappeared behind the gathering clouds of a storm. A once blue sky grew dark, like night had come hours early. With no regard for the consequences Izabella lifted her wrist to her mouth and tore open the flesh with her teeth.

Over each of his bleeding wounds, drops of her blood fell, extending the healing properties that she had and with the final shred of hope in her entire being and soul she pressed her bleeding wrist to his mouth until even she became faint. But nothing happened, it was too late. She was too late. Her skin had mended itself and with her sobs she rested her head beneath his chin. Pleading with any being of power that he be restored, that he be allowed to live.

If the Germans saw her while claiming their wounded they ignored her. In her grief stricken state she remembered his request that he had made on the Olympic not even two days ago. Izabella drew back and looked down at his pale corpse before leaning forward and kissing his brow, for even in death he had said he would feel her lips. "Come back to me, my darling." Her breathing was uneven and for a final time she leant down and gently pressed her lips to his, a final farewell.

"Izabella." She almost thought it was James who had spoken her name but Adam had appeared on the opposite side of her Captain, his head held low. The vampiress could not meet his eyes though, not even when he reached out and took hold of her hand. "I am truly sorry for your loss." And he was, for he never wished to see the ones he loved in pain.

"Why couldn't you have told me sooner?" Her voice was broken when she finally looked up at the vampire, her golden eyes rimmed with the original blue; a trait that only Izabella expressed with strong emotion. "I could've found a way, I could've made him stay. We could have ran away." There were so many possibilities running through her mind, so many what ifs. What if the war had never begun, what if she had not volunteered, what if she and James could have their day, what if they could have a love like Adam and Eve's?

"You know he would not have listened and to force a man like James to stay would cause him to hate you." She knew the words he spoke to be rooted in truth but it did not ease her heart any.

"I would rather him be alive and hate me than dead, Adam." That was when he realized the extent of Izabella's love because he felt the same way for Eve. Standing silently Adam moved and sat next to Belle, drawing her into his arms and the rain began. The elder vampire had rarely seen a person hold control over the weather but the woman in his arms was the cause of this. She had caused the clouds to gather and burst, it was a physical manifestation of what she was feeling.

He smoothed down her wet hair and kissed her forehead. "You are more powerful than you think, Izabella. Even I cannot control the storms." She hardly heard the reverence in his voice for the rain was deafening and her heart was beating in her ears.

"Take me to Eve. I need Eve." Izabella looked over his shoulder at James, one last time. And so Adam did as she requested, pressing his hands to her temples and muttering the spell he had used to come here. In a blink she was gone and he remained with the fallen man she loved. Frowning, the vampire looked around him and before the clouds could lift he had gripped the Captain's arm and repeated the same incantation. When Adam opened his eyes they were back, at the Brighton Estate, lying on the floor of the room that he occupied for his numerous experiments.

He was quick to gather the obsolete medical instruments from one of the chestnut desk drawers. It was a reminder of his past, a profession he had not told Izabella of, only Eve knew completely of his life before being turned. Keeping his mind focused was difficult as he kept thinking of Belle and her distress but somehow he recalled all the books he had read over the centuries, some of which he had recently given to her.

Undoing the buttons on the man's jacket he managed to pull off and throw it aside, Adam did not take the same caution with the shirt beneath as he cut it open. There he could see the extent of the damage and while the wound near his hip was undoubtedly the worst it was a miracle the bullet that had struck near his heart had not passed all the way through and ripped through arteries and blood vessels.

Gathering a small pair of forceps from the assortment Adam drew in a steady breath and started at the Captain's clavicle, prodding around until he could feel metal scrape against metal and with the stable hand of a practiced physician and musician he withdrew the bloodied slug and placed it in a glass beaker. He could tell by the smell of the metal it was lead, toxic to any being, even a vampire.

The same process was repeated twice as he had also been shot in the thigh, but with the three slugs removed Adam brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down, dragging his fangs and tearing the skin. He held his bleeding wrist over each wound and allowed a few drops to land, several minutes later the Captain's skin had come back together, healed, only small scars remained and it was a sign, a sign that hope was not dead.

Adam had sent Belle to Eve's home in Tangier, she appeared outside the ornamental door and though it was day and the sun was shining, she knocked on the wooden surface. The pale lady opened the door only on inch to peer out and at Izabella's tear stained cheeks she backed away and allowed the one immune to sunlight to step into the foyer.

The rooms were dark, but Belle could easily see Eve's tangled mess of beige hair. "Izabella. Come here, darling." The young vampire fell into Eve's open arms only now her tears were gone, and a void had formed within her aching heart. Fingers ran through her damp hair and after a long moment of silence passed Eve pulled the mourning girl into a room filled with books, the numerous volumes were stacked on shelves and the floor next to a four poster bed.

"You darling girl," they both sat on the end of the bed, Eve still running her fingers through scarlet curls. "Did you know that I think of you as my own, Izabella?" Her smile was thin but sincere. Belle looked up at the woman who for many years was one of her mentors and a mother figure to the estranged girl.

"You have mentioned it before, yes." Izabella's voice was quiet and before Eve stood and moved towards a large piece of furniture positioned next to the numerous books, she kissed her temple. It was a tallboy if she remembered correctly, made of rosewood with brass fittings and escutcheons, and was lifted off the floor by four cabriole legs. The elder woman dug around in one of the drawers only a moment before pulling out a purple djellaba, the robe was long and shapeless, a common staple in the wardrobes of those who lived in this area.

"I still do think that, darling girl." Izabella took the proffered piece of clothing and quickly stripped away her nursing gown and apron, pulling the robe overhead, the sleeves swallowed her arms and belittled her already petite physique as the decorative trimming dragged on the floor.

In near silence, Belle picked at the skin on her palm. Eve's comforting hand on her shoulder was the only motivation she needed to say they reason she was here. "James is gone." She had expected Eve to be shocked but she looked on at a wall of books, not speaking. Izabella realized that she too must have had the same dream, or Adam had shared his.

"Adam came to me the night after this vision. Izabella, you should have seen him. He was so conflicted on whether it would be wise to tell you, and if so how to tell you. Adam is a creature of habit with very few attachments in this world. You must know that, he cares for you and despite all he may have said or done he had begun to care for James as well." Eve pulled Izabella into her chest, like a mother would after a child had awoken from a nightmare. "I know this offers little consolation with your loss, but we love you Izabella and so did your Captain." Her nod was feeble yet still the eldest vampire spoke on.

"Time waits for no one. In all our memories love befalls us with the grief of no more tomorrow. If only we could turn back the hands of time and live in the wonders of our early lives with the wisdom of today. Alas, our minds and dreams shimmer only as our soul passes on." Any other time Izabella would have laughed at how easily the woman spoke words of wisdom, but now she could only nod, understanding that time would not even wait for the immortal, even she had an ending. "Stay here as long as you wish." Even though it was far from sunset Eve left the room for a quick moment, coming back with two glasses filled with blood.

When the thrill had subsided and reality consumed her, Izabella laid with her head in Eve's crossed legs, looking up at her and loosely fiddling with the string at the neckline of her robe. "Will you tell me how you and Adam met again?" She could not remember how many times she had heard the tale, but she loved hearing of how the ancient lovers met, and how through time they had evolved. The only wall space in the cramped room had framed sketches, portraits, and pictures. So far there was six, each one from a different century.

"It was in the thirteenth century; 1268, to be exact. It was stormy night outside of Cambridge. I, of course was wandering the forests but then I saw the overturned carriage. The horses had apparently slipped along the wet road. He was a marquess in the royal court, I found Adam bloodied and bruised and any other man I would have drained dry he stood out. His cargo was not weaponry or secrets but instruments. Flutes, lutes, vielles, a gemshorn, he even had a psaltery from Greece though it ended up being broken almost beyond repair, but not for Adam.

I took pity on the musician, unknowing of his nobility and pulled him aside, letting him drink from my lifeblood lest he bleed out. I suppose he did not know what was happening at the time but it worked, his body accepted the transition and he came with me with all his beloved instruments in tow.

It took a while to help Adam train his hunger, I might even daresay at one point in his younger days he was worse than Ava. Positively insatiable. In our time together he would play for me and speak of his wonderful theories and I would teach him the languages of the world. Did you know he can speak Sumerian and Latin flawlessly?" A reminiscent smile grew and Izabella managed to pull the corner of her lips up in a half-hearted smile.

"We did not realize it was love until it was mentioned that we depart, neither of us wanted to leave the other and now we had all the time in the world. We lived in a small cottage north of Amesbury for nearly a century before he proposed, and every century after that we remarry on the same day; June 23rd." Eve was still speaking and still she fiddled with Izabella's hair unaware that young vampiress had slipped into sleep.

 _Her eyes opened but were not fully focused yet, everything was in a haze. She laid on her side and when everything became clear she was taken aback by the face that was so close to hers. "James?" Blue eyes flitted open and he smiled, dashing as always, eyes bright and clear._

 _"Hello, darling." His words seemed to caress her skin and she knew that no matter how real it felt it was nothing more than a dream. A painful trick her mind was playing on her. James had died, her James was dead in a field and France, lost to a war that already appeared to be without end. Izabella was scared to touch him for surely it was an illusion and he would dissipate before her eyes but gingerly she rested her hand on his cheek._

 _"Oh James." The Captain did not know why his lady was crying, regardless of the reason he was quick to pull her into his arms and hold her close and yet she only cried harder. His fingers brushed through her tangled curls, working out the knots as he came to one._

 _They were laying outside, in the middle of a well-worn path in the forest, short grasses created a soft blanket and the small purple wildflowers bloomed on either side of the trail. The gown she wore was white and wrinkled but detailed with fine lace and elegant swirls of patterns across the bodice, the hem of the skirt however was nearly black due to the dirt and grime that had befallen her._

 _"Izabella. Why did you run?" Her brows settled in a deep furrow and James cupped her cheek, tracing his thumb over the small scratches that were healing with every passing second. "Why did you run from our wedding?"_

 _"I didn't. This is a dream. You're dead James, you stopped breathing, your heart stopped. This is a dream." Izabella shook her head vehemently, not believing a single thing. She did not believe he was alive, she knew they would not have their picturesque wedding, she knew that she would never feel his touch again outside of the realm of dreams._

 _"I have loved you... killed for you and gone through pain and suffering. And you are the same... you have lost so much, your life, your place in this world, yet here we are. We have fought for so long, they having thought they have defeated us, but by being absorbed into this darkness, this void, they have given me the greatest joy, for I am with you again." Only then did she see the Captain smile and his canines and elongated to fangs. He was like her. But then everything faded away in a grand illusion and she was back in France, in an open meadow cradling James's body against her chest, silently pleading that the whole ordeal would be a dream and she could go back to before the war. But the bodies of men and horses alike surrounded her and she knew that it was real. It had happened._

"Izabella! Wake, my darling girl." She was shaking and it was Eve's calm and sweet voice that was coaxing her awake for she had begun crying aloud and scratching her own skin with fervor that in some areas blood had been drawn. "Shh, just open your eyes, sweet girl." Her mind was telling her James was not dead, he was not dead, bolting up right Eve tried to comfort the girl but she felt she was going mad, that her heart was too overridden with grief and her mind was against her.

Adam could feel is heart twisting as he slunk into a dark corner of the room, a flask of O negative in his hand. After the first hours he and cast a side glance to the uniform's jack and caught sight of something silver from the hole that had been made in his breast pocket. Withdrawing the small piece he smirked, it was the pocket watch he had repaired, only this time the bullet had damaged it beyond repair, unlike the man still lying unconscious. The small gift had saved his life. He looked on at the Captain who had miraculously gained color to his cheeks and only the slightest bit of warmth to his skin, his heart had not begun beating again but he would live. Adam would make sure he lived, if only to see Izabella smile once more.


	26. 25

_"And my body was bruised and I was set alight, but you came over me like some holy rite, and although I was burning, you're the only light." -Florence and the Machine_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; August 14, 1914_

His arms were stiff. His legs seemed to be paralyzed and when he opened his eyes the dying light streaming through a crack in the curtain was blinding. All he could remember was the pain and the shock, watching on helplessly as his friends were mowed down like wheat in a field. Their screams still echoed in his ears. His breathing sped up to the point of near hyperventilation as he looked down at his chest, but there was no bandages and there were no open wounds left to fester.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, my friend." The voice that spoke to him was nothing but a gruff rasp and it took several long moments for him to place it to a face and name. James turned his head in the direction of the voice and attempted to sit up but his muscles were ridiculously weak and everything still hurt. "I would not do that if I were you." The vampire warned, standing from the corner he had occupied for the several days the man was healing. Precariously, Adam moved around the room, dodging the sunlight until he could close the curtain completely. He looked down at the Captain, who wore a pained and lost expression on his face. He had already been in a state similar to sleep for three days.

"Why am I alive?" James's question was broken as he remembered, everything rushing back to him in tidal waves. The war. The charge. His dying words and the final thought of his beloved. For all he knew she was still in France, hundreds of miles away from him and that only brought up numerous questions about the men in his company and his own mount. Had they survived? Was Joey still alive?

The answer to his vocalized question, however; was simple. Adam sat beside the Captain and raised his eyebrow. "Because of Belle." Captain Nicholls's expression immediately softened but still the look of confusion and terror remained in his eyes. Had it not been for her love of the mortal man Adam would have never risked bringing him back to the estate and he would have never that he would turn the man.

He looked around the room but found that asides from himself and Adam it was empty. The vampire opened his hand and in his palm laid the pocket watch. Frowning the Captain took it and ran his finger of the hole in the middle, this time it was beyond repair, but then it dawned on him. Although it was inadvertently, Izabella Brighton had saved his life by giving him that watch. "Where is she?" There was a panicked edge in his voice and once more he tried to sit up, only to be forced back down on the hard floor by Adam pushing his shoulder.

"Tangier. She is safe with Eve." Adam wondered if Eve could feel the message he had sent yet, but regardless he looked up from the Captain and to one of the paneled walls covered with his designs and planned experiments. Silence encompassed the two men.

"I need to ask you a very serious question, Captain Nicholls." The cavalryman looked up with furrowed brows, awaiting the question that would come from the vampire, though he could never be fully prepared for what Adam was going to ask.

Eve woke with the coming of the night a thin smile on her lips as she looked at the young vampire who had stayed with her for nearly a week, but she supposed that would change shortly. While the eldest vampire remained true to her nocturnal lifestyle Izabella still woke with the sun and busied herself in Eve's books or in the local markets, anything to keep her mind away from her beloved.

On this night Izabella had curled up on the opposite side of Eve's bed, blood stained her lips and cradled in her hand was a crystalline glass that at seeing the older vampiress pulled from her hand and placed it on the nightstand. Understanding the message she had received in sleep from her husband Eve looked back at Izabella one last time before leaving the room and moving towards the foyer where her voice would not wake the sleeping girl.

Adam looked up at the light forming in the corner of the room and within seconds his wife had appeared. The vampire quickly stood and moved to the pale woman, taking her hands within his and kissing the palm of each. James watched as they embraced each other and shared a single kiss before their attention turned to him. Eve knelt down next to James, the smile she gave flashed her fangs but he was not frightened. She stroked back his damp and dirtied hair with a manner of a mother.

"How true is your love for Izabella?" Adam asked, knowing already how much Izabella loved him, but if they were to be bound for eternity then he too had to share the same extent of love. Eve seemed to know his answer already but Adam, being the skeptic he was needed to hear the Captain speak so he could gauge if it was a truth or a lie he saw in his eyes.

James's inhaled a large breath and looked to both vampires. "I love her more than life. She is a rare woman and after I met her I could not imagine my life without her. Truly, I love her, entirely, wholly." The past year flashed through his mind, from the time he first laid eyes on her as she descended the stairs at a spring party to the desperate and pleading look in her eyes when she said she would marry him, but at least he did not have to remember the grief stricken and tear stained eyes that looked down at his corpse.

The pale lady smiled down at him and Adam too knelt on the opposite side of him. "Then join us, be one with the night and you will never have to leave her side again. What say you?" The woman's voice was silvery and calming and suddenly the Captain realized why his darling vampiress spoke so highly of Eve. She was the epitome of wisdom.

James breathed in a deep rush of air. Would he be doing the right thing? Of course, he would spend an eternity with the woman he loved, but how would his family respond. What would his father think of him if he traded his life over to become a thing that was called demon and devil? And his dear sisters? They would live out their mortal lives and he would be able to do nothing but watch, but Izabella, his dear Izabella would be there. Forever and always, she had once said. Eternally yours. Throwing caution and logic to the wind he looked at each of the vampires and nodded before voicing his answer aloud in a firm voice. "Yes."

Adam looked to Eve, knowing that he had not yet regained full strength from healing the wounds that had caused his death. His wife nodded in understanding and brought her wrist to her mouth, biting down far more gently than Adam and Belle had done. She lifted his head and pressed her wrist to his mouth urging the Captain to drink. And he did, the metallic taste could not disgust him as it reminded him of Izabella's kiss and so even when the pain began to engulf his body still he drank until Eve pulled her wrist away. "What happens now?" He half joked though his teeth were gritting together and his hands were fisted at his sides.

"Now...you die." Eve whispered; not in a medical sense, as Izabella had told him once before. He would still have a heartbeat and he would still breathe but while his skin and blood felt aflame all the warmth that had returned to him left. His hands continuously clenched and unclenched at his sides and sweat formed on his brow as he writhed in place. James hissed and the two vampires looked on as his canine elongated to form points.

"Why don't you go fetch some blood for when he wakes, Adam?" Within the hour the vampire had returned with three flasks filled with the crimson fluid and hazily the Captain had begun to wake. His new found fangs ached with the need for blood. James had never felt such a hungry like that he was experiencing now, he would grow used it though, as Izabella had done over the centuries. Eve smiled as he sat up, looking around the room once more to see if by some magic his darling Belle had appeared but alas the only people in the room asides from himself was Adam and Eve.

The pale lady took one of the flasks and unscrewed the lip, offering it to the Captain. He had seen how much Belle drank on a daily basis and while his thirst had not been sated he stopped and the room began to spin. His blood was alight but this time it was not with pain but with ecstasy, the only sensation that surpassed the feeling of feeding was being with Izabella. "Drink more, James. You need not limit yourself on this day." Eve's command was soft and without a second thought he complied, drinking more from the leather encased flask.

"I must return to Tangier, now." She spoke both to Adam and James as it was very likely Izabella would be awake by now, noticing her absence. "Adam, you know what to do." He nodded and watched as Eve disappeared once more.

The streets of Eve's city were slow moving with the near rising sun, in a quick stop to see Marlowe he handed the ancient lady two canisters of the good stuff and with cordial formalities parted ways. As suspected, Izabella was awake, looking around at the shelves of books before plucking one off to read. She sat in a corner of what she believed to be the living room though it looked to be unused. The lamp beside her emitted just enough light to make the words of the page visible.

Light footsteps echoed though the small hall and Izabella looked up seeing the pale lady entering the room. "I am sorry if I startled you leaving earlier. We were running low." Izabella suspected nothing of what had happened but gladly took the small glass Eve offered her. Eve sat on the opposite end of the sofa and with a sideward glance they each tipped back the small crystal glass.

An hour passed before she looked up from her book again and sensing her movement, Eve looked in her direction, awaiting her words. "I was thinking of returning home. The longer I am away the more I think of him." It made no sense in way, she would return to her estate and be surrounded by memories of him. His clothes, the sketches he had left on the table in the corner of the room, it was likely his scent even remained trapped between the threads of her sheets; but she needed to return, she longed to return. The feeling in her chest was impossible to describe.

"Yes, I do suppose that would be a wise thing to do but please stay if only for a couple more days. I have missed you, darling girl." Resisting Eve was impossible so with a small smile she agreed to stay at least three more days. Eve slept little during those days, for nights were spent venturing into the streets of the ancient city and in the days she indulged Izabella of firsthand accounts of history and small stories of her and Adam.

It was on the morning of the third day after she had suggested returning to the Brighton Estate that Eve stood before her with a waning smile, her arms open to embrace Izabella. The young vampire smiled against Eve's neck as she whispered the words that would send her to Adam, back to her home.

As expected when her eyes opened she was met with the familiar sight of her home. The foyer was dark, no candles were lit nor were any of the electric lamps emitting their artificial light.

Her first instinct was to call for Tutti, or maybe Adam had stayed even in absence, but she did not. Izabella moved through her home like a shadow, the floorboards never creaked beneath her feet, not even when she shifted on her feet. She stole up the stairs with every intention of returning to her room but when she opened the door the bed was still unmade and one of the wardrobe door was half open, a sleeve of royal blue peeking out of the dark wood. Instead she entered her father's study again and with a wave of her had the candles within were lit, even in the crystal hewn chandelier.

With a frustrated groan she skimmed over the titles of books that lined two of four walls and eventually pulled out a copy of sonnets, most of which were written by Shakespeare. Regardless, she held the book close to her chest and moved to the bay window, where there was a bench seat. As she sat down wisps of dust were released into the air and the pillow she leaned against had long ago lost its power to be comfortable.

A quick glance outside and she watched as the sun was fully engulfed by the dark of night. Izabella opened the heavy tome and almost laughed when she found the page she had last read marked with a small fold to the top of the page. When to the sessions of sweet silent thought, I summon up remembrance of things past, she scoffed at the words on the page, unbelieving that this would be the first sonnet she came to. It was as if her past was mocking her, tears welled in her eyes and for a moment she lifted the book to throw it but her love for the worn cover and words transcribed words on the discolored page would never allow her to do such a thing.

" _Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, for precious friends hid in death's dateless night, and weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe, and moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight_." Izabella shook her head as she continued reading, realizing that she had cried more within the year of knowing James than she did her entire life and yet the awareness only brought more tears to her eyes. Had she looked in the mirror in the moment she would have seen that her eyes were still ringed with the blue they had been before she was turned.

Adam had pointed out the distinction on multiple occasions, noticing on several occasions that when she was at emotional extremes, whether it be happiness or despair her eyes would return to the blue he had first seen upon looking at her in Westminster Abbey that day all those years ago. She lingered on the page, reading the sonnet twice over before reading it quietly aloud for a third time.

Adam lifted his head at the whispering voice and quickly ascended the stairs to the room in which Belle was. He lingered in the doorway simply watching her recite the sonnet, only making his presence known when she came to the last two lines. " _But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, all losses are restor'd and sorrows end_." He finished. The gruff sound of his voice made the vampiress's head snap up, the alarm instantly fading. She stood and smoothed the skirt of the robe Eve had given her and slowly stepped towards Adam and he did the same until they stood in the middle of her father's study.

In less than the time it would have taken to blink he pulled her into his arms, his cheek resting atop her hair. She buried her head further within his chest and for the first time since James's untimely death, smiled. Adam pulled back and held her an arm's length away, a surprisingly soft smile on his lips, the points of his fangs just peeking out from his thin lips. "Come, Izabella. There is someone you must see."


	27. 26

"Come, Izabella. There is someone you must see." Izabella followed wordlessly and without hesitation but her mind was reeling with questions. Questions that needed answers but she knew that Adam would not tell should she ask. They both came to a halt before the doors that belonged to an empty guest room that had not been inhabited for years. "Izabella. I want you to know that I love you, very much, and should you ever need me all you must do is think of me and I will come." His eyes had gone soft but he did not smile, nor attempt to.

"Adam?" The vampiress knew by the words he spoke that he was leaving. He was leaving her and no longer would she have is constant presence as over the year she had from grown accustomed to having him around. His music, his terrible sense of humor, and decidedly pessimistic views that she loved to counter with her own. "You're leaving aren't you?" She questioned with a low tone, unable to keep the hint of sadness from creeping into her voice.

"Yes. I may stay with Eve for some time but I wish to see America again, their views may be gilded and false but for my theories and inventions I think it will be best." Izabella tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth, though not breaking the skin. Her arms were crossed over her chest, Adam knew she acted in such a manner because she was frustrated. With herself, with the world, with him. The vampire's smile was pained but he craned his head downward and kissed her forehead, for Belle though it would not suffice and she pulled him down so that they could share a tender goodbye kiss. Something that he could remember her by for the decades to come.

Adam motioned to the door when she returned to stand flat on her feet and he at his full stature and backed away only a step, allowing Izabella to push the decorated door open. The room was dark, the drapes pulled to and though the air seemed too stale to breathe comfortably. She stepped across the threshold upon seeing a lone figure lying on the bed. The vampiress swallowed the lump in her throat and moved closer to him, tears prematurely gathering in her eyes.

His hair was still dirtied to some degree and only a small amount of stubble had begun to grow on his jaw but it was him, it was him, without a doubt. "James?" She hated how weak her voice was, how it cracked and wobbled and how her hands had begun to tremble. He had died. His heart had stopped. The Captain's eyes flitted open at the soft exclamation of his name, though it was more of a question. His body was still changing, very slowly, but when he turned his head he was met with the sight of Izabella Brighton looking at him and he thought it to be the most heartbreaking thing he could ever see.

He died, he was dead. Her mind reminded her of the impossibility of the circumstances and now she truly did believe herself to be mad when he spoke her name. Only then did she want believe that he was real, he was alive but her mind was not convinced. Izabella's knees gave way, hitting the wooden floor below and her hands covered her face as she sobbed into them. Unsure on whether to be happy or angry.

James swung his legs off the bed and lowered himself to the floor, gathering the woman in his arms. Gently he pried her hands away so that he could see her face and the tears the streaked down her cheeks, complacently wiping them away with the pads of his thumbs. Her golden eyes met his and unable to look into the eyes that held the sea she turned away, pressing her face into his neck. "You died. You are dead. This cannot be real. It is only a dream." But his chest was solid and not an illusion and the feeling of his hand running through her hair was far too comforting for it to be only a dream and yet she still cried.

"But it is real, my darling Belle. It is." He cooed and pulled her closer into his chest on the wooden floor. The Captain wanted to thank Adam once more for giving him this second chance, the chance to live with Izabella, to love and cherish her until the end of all days and while he saw the dark figure from behind Belle when she first spoke his name when he looked back to the doorway this time, Adam was gone.

"It's a dream." She wailed, unbelieving, it could not be real. People do not come back from the dead and if they miraculously do then everything is different. So why did James seem so familiar? So alive and real?

The Captain tilted Izabella's chin up so that for the first time their eyes locked. "I promise you, Izabella. This is not a dream. I am here. I came back to you." Leaning away she lifted her hand and touched his cheek, moving her fingertips along the bridge of his nose and over his eyelids and James simply let her, willing to do anything to make her see that she was not going mad. Her thumb drug across his lips but at the last second she pulled her hand away and looked at the small amount of blood that had been drawn on her thumb as she had hit his fang.

"Please tell me that it didn't happen. That you're the same." Her voice was a fleeting cry as she mended the scattered pieces back together. He remained quiet, knowing that when the subject was brought up in the past she always said a life in the darkness would suit him ill. It would not suit his life, his family. It just wouldn't. Izabella looked at her bleeding thumb and back to him but his eyes were devoid of any emotion in the moment and she felt as if her heart was being squeezed to the point where it would burst.

James lifted her hand and looked at the crimson fluid before bringing it to his lips, his tongue swiping the blood away and all her fears were confirmed when she saw the elongated canines, sharpened to lethal points. Her sharp intake of air permeated the silence, but then the Captain spoke, his words soft and firm. "I wanted this Izabella. You think I am giving up the light, my life." He paused and cupped her face within his hands, his own eyes began to grow damp and Izabella watched as all the emotions and sparkling life that she once knew returned. Her James was sitting right in front of her eyes. "But you must realize, _you_ are my light and so long as I have you then I will never be in darkness." Her golden eyes were wide.

Izabella placed her hands on his chest, feeling for the scars she had once seen in a dream but there was nothing but smooth skin, like marble beneath her hands. In the low light of the room her eyes seemed to glow, she would indeed be his light, but still tears fell from her eyes. "No more tears. Please, Izabella, no more tears." She nodded silently and moved her hands to the base of his neck, and then up to either side of his face. "May I kiss you?" His fingers curled beneath her chin, she sighed but it was followed with the faintest of smiles and then a nod.

"You may." It was the only thing he needed to hear and as if it were their first kiss all over again James pressed his lips against hers. It was gentle at first, each one moving in synch with the other but when Izabella nipped at his bottom lip the Captain returned with the ferocity that she exhibited, his hands gathering the material of her skirt at her hips within clenched fists. Delicate hands rested against the base of his neck, her thumbs just touching the lobes of his ears. When she pulled away her tears had stopped and her heart leapt with relief.

James scooped her off the floor, holding her close to his chest and walked to her bedroom, gently he laid her onto the bed the sheets unmade and kicked to the end of the mattress. Her smile was bashful and her hair was splayed around her like the rays of sunlight that provided life for the Earth. The Captain followed, lying next to her but by no means did he try to hold her against him, she would always be there now. "How did he do it?" She whispered, not understanding how Adam could have saved him. Their blood was alike and hers should have healed him just the same as Adam's, but it didn't.

"I do not know, in all honesty, but whatever he did make him weak for a few days. It was actually Eve who gave her blood for my transition." James fished around in his pocket, pulling out the damaged pocket watch. Izabella looked at it for a moment, not understanding what it was until he slid the metal into her palm. Her fingers traced over the outside of the hole and across the delicate engraving. "This is one of the reasons I fared as well as I did. I had it in my breast pocket." She remained silent and so did he; for she understood what he was saying. This small little token of her love had helped save him.

With a wave of her hand the candles around the room burned brighter. Her eyes trailed down his chest, trying to find any evidence of his wounds put there was none. For a long while she kept her hand over his heart before moving it over his abdomen, his stomach tightened and twitched under her touch. "Izabella." The way he spoke her name frightened her and the way he gently pulled her hand away from his waist caused her brows to furrow but regardless she sat back and looked down upon his face, wanting nothing more than to trace the sharp lines that she had committed to memory.

"Yes, my darling Captain?" A pained and sorrow filled expression crossed his face but he quickly pushed it away with a faint but insincere smile.

He closed his eyes and reached for her hand, curling his fingers around hers. "Did you notice if Joey had made it through gunfire?" Belle was about to speak but then he continued and she felt her throat tighten. "And Charlie and Jamie?" She had to look away at the mention of the two men, her eyes finding the small crack in the curtains that revealed the night.

"I did not see Joey or Topthorn, nor did I see Jamie." The Captain sat up and rested his forehead against her shoulders, unwilling to let Izabella see his tears for he already knew what she was going to say next. "Charlie -Charlie had been shot in the neck and leg, major arteries are there. I couldn't have saved him even I wanted." Her hand was still within his but she wrapped her other arm around his shoulders and held him close. She felt three damp places form on her robe. At this point she suspected that the two horses and the Major had been fated down the same path of the young Lieutenant.

The silence this time was somber and she could see that it had affected the Captain to know that he had loss such friends. Slipping away from him she made haste down the hall and grabbed a flask of blood from the icebox. Izabella fiddled with the casing and the lid as she walked back down the hall, James lips curved up into a smile upon seeing her reenter the room. She wished to see his face contort and his eyes dilate as he drank and so somewhat sheepishly she poured her glass full of the crimson liquid and offered it to James and despite everything that had happened the world around them faded into nothing.

His eyes flickered up to hers before he took the long stemmed glass from her fingers and with blue eyes glued to gold he tipped back the liquid and fell into a world where nothing but pleasure existed. There was nor had there ever been a war, his friends were still alive and well and Izabella never had to mourn for him. That was the world he slipped into for the moment. When his head fell back she was tempted to kiss his neck and the vein there but she could not look away from his bloodstained lips and eyes that seemed to be so different than those she had previously known.

When James lifted his head he looked questioningly at Belle who was refilling the crystal glass, only her eyes widened when he took the glass from her hand and with his silent command she moved closer to him. Her breath hitched as he lifted the glass to her lips and slowly he poured the blood into her mouth. The experience was nothing short of sensual but she could not find it within herself to succumb to the lust in her veins and mind. Instead she sat the glass and flask aside and curled into James side resisting the urge to cry once more.

Izabella laid with her head on his abdomen, lightly tracing a mixture of letters and symbols on his cool skin. She looked up at him to see he was still looking at her, his hand resting on her waist. The kiss she placed to the center of his stomach was quick and chaste but slowly she shifted her weight and placed one of her legs on either side of the Captain's narrow hips. "Did you know that according to Greek myths, the gods fashioned humans originally with four arms and four legs?" He raised a brow at her but relaxed back under her form.

"They were scared of the power we could possess so they split us into what we are now. And then we spend the rest of our lives looking for our other half." He didn't even resist when she threaded her fingers through his and pressed his hands into the bed. Izabella smiled and rested her forehead against his, her face twisting in pain for only a moment. "I had to wait over two hundred years, but for you I would have waited centuries longer." Now, however, she did not have to wait, she had her other half right before her eyes.

She had almost succumbed to sleep when James lifted her into his arms and carried her down the stairs to the room with the piano. Leaving her in a straight back chair he moved to the box Adam had showed him and pulled out a single record encased in paper, the script however was not legible asides from his and Belle's name. Drawing in a steady breath he placed the record on the gramophone and aligned the needle among the grooves and in the silence of the room a haunting melody began.

From only the first notes Izabella knew it had to be one of Adam's compositions though her ears had never heard it before. What she did not know was that after witnessing her and James dancing to Danse macabre he made it a point to create a song just for them, as centuries ago he had written a song for him and Eve. Adam could act as reclusive and cold to the changing world but Eve and Izabella would always be his light.

James extended his hand and without a second of hesitance she placed hers within his and was pulled to her feet. They fell into a waltz as the steps and beat of the music were composed perfectly. The rhythm of their bodies was as trance inducing as the moist, intoxicating air their bodies emitted toward one another. This was not merely breathing though, it was communicating with a warmness deep within each other's bodies, apart they were cold as ice but together they melted. Her scent filled his lungs and with every breath he took more and more of it became a part of him and with his senses more attuned than ever he was able to pick up the undertones of her perfume and natural sweetness of her pale skin. James's heart beat loudly beneath her ear and she smiled. All would be well.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; Summer of 1917_

The last years had been arduous, if there was nothing that frightened Izabella more than him becoming the same as she it was watching as grief consumed him and the war never truly left him. He had nightmares, remembering the terrifying awareness that he would die away from everything he knew and held dear. Some days he could not bear the thought that he was the only one from his regiment that had survived and it dawned on him more and more than he should be dead, he should've been with them in death.

Izabella, however; was always there. She was always there when he started thrashing in the night, she was there when could not stand the thought that he was alive. She remembered the first time when a wine goblet was accidently dropped, the panic it sent him into was near debilitating as he thought it was gunfire. Or when he sat down and played the piano but struck an acrimonious chord the anger he held at himself was irrational and upsetting. It had her heart ache to see the torture he endured each day. She was next to him when his father and sisters came to her home and saw that James was alive, though to not rouse suspicions he laid in bed with thick white gauze wrapped around his torso. It was hard and everything was different, but she could love him no less.

In the winter of 1914 James had finally said he wanted to search for those that he knew, a part of him still retained the hope that they were alive. Together they had searched the German occupied countries in search for any that could have survived the charge and those that had been captured regardless of their nationality or regiment were freed from the terrible condition in which they had been placed. Izabella and James moved in the night, their work swift and clean and the rumors surrounding them were that they were nothing but specters, but alas hope was lost.

Three years passed and they found nothing and no one of his regiment that was until Izabella woke him in the morning, pressing the day's paper into his chest. Prisoner of War Returns Home as Hero. The grainy black and white picture below showed a tall and lanky man, his eyes sunken and cheekbone too harsh for his face but the emaciated body belonged to Major Jamie Stewart and in the background was Olivia Nicholls, now Mrs. Stewart. The vampiress watched his melancholy morning expression fade into bewilderment and relief. Weeks following the return of Major Stewart, there were many more headlines such as his as the war was drawing to a close.

After a month Izabella had requested that Olivia and Jamie come to the Brighton Estate for dinner. With avid haste they had replied yes and she had tucked away their correspondence, meaning for the event to be a surprise. The date quickly arrived and under the impression that it was the first of her annual parties James buttoned up his dress shirt and sloppily tucked it into a pair of black slacks whilst Izabella adjusted the bodice of a gown that was much too simple for one of her grand parties.

Tutti opened the front door and ushered the two guests in. Izabella had gathered her work staff days after her return and told them the truth of her nature that Adam and now James were vampires as well and gave them the option to leave or stay, understanding if they chose to be rid of her presence but to her surprise they all remained, even the young stable boy. Izabella heard chattering voices and smiling to James she took his hand and led him to the grand staircase, standing on which he saw his sister and friend looking up.

The Major was slowly returning to his original weight though the shirt he wore still seemed a little big but upon seeing James his face shifted into a wide smile. Jumping down three stairs at a time James pulled his sister into a tight hug and turned to face his brother-in-law. "Jim! I thought you were-."

"Dead?" The Captain chuckled, extending his hand for Jamie to shake only the two ended pulling each other into an embrace. "I could say the same about you, old friend." Olivia looked to Belle and smiled, a thousand thanks in her eyes. The two men fall into conversation as if they had not been separated for nearly three years and his sister pulled Izabella aside.

"When is the wedding?" Was the first question to come from her mouth which quickly curved into a wry smile when she crossed her arms across her chest.

"The what?" She had found it easy to forget that she and James were engaged for she was just thankful that he was alive and that each morning when she awoke he was lying next to her. Olivia only laughed with her singsong voice.

"Don't be coy Izabella, I see the ring. Now when are you and my darling brother going to say the magic words? It's been four years for heaven's sake." It had not felt like four years. Time was passing quickly, but when she looked at the young girl it was apparent that time had passed. While Olivia was still youthful she could see the subtle changes in her face and hair, yet Izabella looked the same.

"To be honest I am in no rush. I am happy." And indeed she was, it was James she had worried about but seeing her Captain and his longtime friend conversing as if the war had never happened rekindled something within her. "We are both happy." She believed wholeheartedly that they were happy. The evening passed quickly and standing on the series of stairs that lead to her door James wrapped his arm around her waist as they watched a trail of dust made by the old car disappear down the drive.

"Thank you." He murmured, turning into her and pressing his lips against her cool forehead. The night had come once more. Izabella smiled but pulled away from him and descended the stairs turning when she was on level ground with an impish smile and then she ran into the night with the moon shining down on her and only a few paces behind her was James. She yelped when his arms wrapped around her waist but as they were falling to the ground the Captain shifted their weight and she landed atop him, light as a feather. The vampiress kissed him, murmuring her affections between the short little pecks to his thin lips but after moments passed she rolled off James and laid by his side in the grass so that only their fingers brushed against one another.

Some nights were made for torture, or reflection, or the savoring of loneliness but this midsummer night was not made for any of those things; it was made for two lovers to look at each other and then to the stars only to realize that those little lights in the sky could never compare to the person they had next to them.


	28. 27

_"Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, and so live ever-or else swoon to death-."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; April 12, 1918_

It was the day they had met, five years to the day and on this day it would be when they married as well. However untraditional it may have been they would marry at night, surrounded by only friends and family. From the window looking out at her garden she could see her staff preparing for the night, tables were being set with white tablecloths and red accents. Flower arrangements were precariously positioned throughout the décor and within her home and everything smelled of baked goods and sweet treats. It was a day she never imagined would come in all her years.

The arms that wrapped around her waist were unrelenting in their pursuit to pull her back into the unmade bed but she only laughed and turned her head into the side of his neck. "James, it is time we both wake." She half scolded, her lips just close enough to kiss the prominent vein on his neck though at the last second she nipped his skin and only a small amount of blood was drawn though it healed within seconds. "Are you still certain you want to marry a girl like me?" Izabella batted her lashes at him, her smile coquettish yet refined to look like a proper lady.

The Captain grinned and pulled her even closer by the hips. "I've awaited this day since I first laid eyes on you. I knew I would have you." It was a truth he had not revealed until now. He would have happily spent the remainder of his years wooing the Lady Brighton whether he was successful or not for he had never seen anything more beautiful in his years.

"A bit overconfident weren't you?" She kissed his chin and ran her hands up his chest until they could slip to the nape of his neck, fingers interlocking. When James looked down at her she smiled as his chin began to wrinkle up, it was just one of the many things she adored about him.

"Yes, I admit, but luckily you were just as taken with me as I was with you." The cocky tone of his voice was enough to make her narrow her eyes at him. He was too sure of himself at the time and too unaware of what exactly he was getting himself into by associating with Izabella Brighton.

The vampiress's laugh was melodic as she took in his words before finally countering with her own view of their first meetings. "I suppose I was, admittedly at first I wanted nothing more than to sink my teeth into your neck." She raised a single brow gauging his reaction but the Captain only rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to the bed until they both fell back onto the mattress with her astride his waist.

Izabella loved being atop him, she loved to see his eyes shine and feel the way his breathing hitched and heart leapt. James trailed his hands up and down her back wishing the thin material of her dressing gown could not separate his skin from hers. With her emboldened and swift motion she had leant down, pressing her lips against his, her hands trailing down his alabaster skin and just to the top of the waist band of his lounge pants. Not going any further she pulled away and stood from the bed, smirking. "Minx." The Captain growled, attempting to follow her but she batted his hands away.

"I know. I'm terrible," She looked to the open wardrobe where a freshly pressed tuxedo awaited her dashing Captain and in the room down the hall her white dress awaited its wearer, "but it's time to begin getting ready." Upon turning a hand wrapped around her wrist and soft lips were pressing against hers, sighing in delight she returned the kiss and pulled away with a fervent blush staining her cheeks.

"If it is a sin to desire your lips against mine than I am the most offending soul alive." Perhaps if she was not making haste to prepare for the evenings ceremony she would have swooned and then chuckled as she would piece together that he had put his own spin on a Shakespeare quote but for now she could only look back and smile at him.

When she slipped into the dressing room her eyes were closed and with her back pressed against the door she sighed, not seeing the brooding presence that had appeared in the room as well. "I haven't seen you blush like that since Keats told you that he had written _Bright Star_ with you in mind." The vampire mused and immediately Izabella's eyes opened wide.

"Adam!" She scolded, lips pressed into a grim line but within a second she shook her head and stepped closer to him. "Were you trying to frighten me to death?" Her hand rested over her heart which was now beating even more rapid than before, but her scowl disappeared just as quickly as it had formed at his eloquent reply. "Where is Eve?" She glanced around the room, at the dresses lining the walls and to the vanity on which a suit jacket had been thrown.

"With your darling Captain. More than likely spewing coercions of what she should do if he broke your heart." The brooding vampire could not stop himself while smiling while speaking the words due to the fact that he knew Captain Nicholls would never do anything to hurt Belle.

"I thought that was your job?" Her tone was teasing as she finally moved to stand in front of him then she was wrapped in his arms and everything seemed right again. She had James and now Adam and Eve were in her home as well, it made her heart swell that all the people she loved were brought together if only for the night. The vampire placed a lingering kiss to the top of Belle's head before resting his chin where his lips had just been.

"I suppose through the years I have learned that you are capable of looking after yourself." His smile was founded in sincerity but his eyes moved from her to the dress laid across the back of one of the chairs within the room and almost reluctantly his hands fell away from her waist and back to his sides. "You are going to look beautiful."

Izabella moved to her gown and picked it up, holding it in her arms like it was the most delicate thing in the entire universe. From the white material her golden eyes flashed up to Adam, whose shirt was buttoned unevenly and wrinkled but she had expected nothing less. "Would you like the honor of lacing me up?"

In silence she slipped off the silk dressing gown, revealing the pale expanse of skin that in every way would have been considered perfection, even the small freckles on her shoulders and legs. Her fingers curled around the post of the dressing screen as Adam intricately laced the strings on the back of the dress, there was no corset, nothing over the top or too ostentatious it was just a simple gown, far simpler than the gowns she owned from the Regency and Victorian eras. The neck dipped down in a subtle v and sleeves were kept short, the vampire stepped back and admired the lady as she looked over herself in the mirror, smoothing the skirt down with nervous hands.

Before leaving the room Adam slipped a small vial into her hand, curling her fingers around the glass. "What is this?" She asked, holding it up to the light to see that it appeared to be nothing more than water.

"A successful experiment." He replied, obviously pleased with the results. Izabella nodded but still did not understand what purpose it would serve. "For James." He added after a long moment of silence and that only increased her confusion. "I was tinkering, as you like to say, and I stumbled upon something very intriguing. I used my blood to test this concoction so I know it will work. Its light, the sun, Izabella. If he drinks this then the sun will not harm him as it does me." She almost dropped the vial, the disbelief on her face was clear and out of fear that his hard work would end up splattered on the polished floor.

Izabella set the small glass aside and watched as Adam knelt down, taking her hands within his in an attempt to explain. "When a slide of unchanged vampirous blood is placed in the sun the cells immediately die but when I mixed my blood and this to test the cells lived, they lived on, and they were still living when I left to come here." It was then she understood, she understood the trouble he had enduring finding the perfect combination of chemicals and substances, she knew it was likely he would never be able to reproduce the solution.

"Then why have you not taken any?" She asked with furrowed brows.

Adam pursed his lips and lifted a single curl of scarlet hair that had fallen in her face. "I have lived by the moon for so long now I cannot imagine life in the sun; that is why. I know you love the light and I know your Captain did as well. Eve and I are night dwellers we have been for centuries, but you and James deserve to have the sun. Now don't keep Captain Nicholls waiting."

The sun was setting and from the window she could see the few attending guests arriving, walking through the foyer with pleasant chattering. The vampiress looked closely at the vial sitting on the chipped surface of the vanity and tucked it away in one of the drawers for safekeeping and stood to leave but the firm knock on the door startled her from thoughts and slowly she cracked the door to see George Nicholls.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" His voice was subdued and she nodded, opening the door so that he could join her. "You look gorgeous, Ms. Brighton." The man commented but his eyes seemed distant as if he were lost in memories of long ago.

"Thank you, Mr. Nicholls." She looked down, clasping her hands in front of her but when the aging man pulled out a slim blue box she looked up, watching as he took the lid away to reveal the contents. It was a necklace, made of pearl and gold that would rest delicately at her décolletage and frame the neckline of her gown with an elegant design that still remained simplistic.

"This was my wife's, she wore it on our wedding day and she saw Katherine wear it with the intentions of seeing Olivia wear it as well, but I don't think it would look quite right on Jim." He smiled and Izabella managed to laugh through the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes, with the Nicholls she felt like she had a family again as they had welcomed her with open arms. "I believe if she were here today she would see that you wear it as well, even now I consider you to be a daughter." The vampiress could not manage any words at the moment but with a silent understanding she turned and pulled aside her hair to allow James's father to clasp the necklace and aid her with the sheer veil.

Few words were exchanged beyond that and they simultaneously left the room, he proceeded to the garden where the ceremony was to be held and looking out the curtains she counted the heads and saw that everyone was there and down the divide of chairs was flower petals scattered along the cobble, candles flickered along the aisle and tables but the glow of the moon provided most of the light. The officiant was speaking and the guests remained silent. At the sight of James she smiled, he looked so handsome, even with the slightly longer hair and scruff on his jaw. From the vase she plucked her bouquet, in it was a single Middlemist rose surrounded by white roses and daisies. Now she waited.

There was silence as she walked down the parted chairs, it was unnerving to have everyone's eyes focused on her and only her but she could only look forward at James. A wide smile broke out across his face if only to mask to tears that were welling in his eyes at the sight of her. She was a vision in white with hair like flames and skin like alabaster. When she stepped in front of James he whispered that she was beautiful and from there the ceremony began though until she had to speak she could not look away from his viridian eyes.

"James Nicholls, our miracle lies in the path we have chosen together." No one asides from James truly realized the gravity of the words she spoke and after a moment pause she breathed in and smiled. "I pledge my heart, body, and soul to this union. I promise to share my thoughts, dreams, hopes, and fears with you and wish for you to do the same. I vow to hold you close through laughter and tears, to cherish and respect you for the man you are. And through this union I will be faithful and loving, through the good and bad, so that we may grow in love and wisdom for the rest of our days." For now they had an endless amount of days.

"Where there has been cold you brought warmth, where there was darkness you brought light. I wish to intertwine our lives on this day and become one as husband and wife. I vow to love you and care for you, eternally. You are everything I could have dreamt of and more, so from this day on I will cherish you and always look forward to our tomorrows as I know we will walk side by side, hand in hand, and heart to heart. I love you, Izabella Brighton." When she smiled she did so unreservedly and before him stood the vampire he loved, her eyes and skin ethereal.

What the officiant said after that did not necessarily register and with wide eyes Izabella was scooped into her Captain's arms, his lips molding against hers. The evening passed and the celebration had ended by eleven, from there James lifted Izabella into his arms and stepped across the threshold back into the house, a self-satisfied smile on his thin lips. "It is tradition for the groom to carry the bride into their home is it not?"

Izabella could only smile and give a chastising head shake. "Since when have we done anything according to tradition James?" His chuckle was lighthearted and together they ascended the stairs that led to their room. The Captain only placed her back to her own feet when he sought to begin untying the laces on the back of the white gown. As the gaping back exposed the gentle slope of her shoulders James placed short kisses across the skin until finally the gown fell to the floor. He took a step in front of her and extended his hand, without hesitation she placed hers within his and allowed him to guide her out of the puddle of white silk and lace.

She was mere inches from his body; he could smell her perfume, of Jasmine and scents of the exotic yet even now he still could sense something forbidden about her. Izabella lifted a hand to his chest, tracing the buttons of his dress shirt, his breath caught in his throat as even though her skin was like ice there seemed to be heat emanating from her hand. Setting the task of undoing the buttons of his shirt, she proceeded to do so slowly until he shrugged it off and her hands were left to wander over strong skin.

His lips moved to her neck and then her collarbones. "Mrs. Nicholls," he breathed against her skin and she could only smile and thread her fingers into his hair and pull his head away so that she could kiss her husband upon the lips for the first of many times. She thoroughly taught him that one cannot take pleasure without giving pleasure, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance, every last bit of the body has its secret, which brings happiness to the person who knows how to wake it.

James fell asleep holding a goddess and Izabella closed her eyes that night realizing for the first time in her life what it felt like to truly, unreservedly happy.

 _The Narracott Farm, Devon; February 17, 1919_

Albie had quickly fallen back into the routine from before the war, in this cold February morning he was out in the barn tending to Joey and the mule his father had bought to do work in his and the horse's absence. Harold honked in content for the moment as he feasted on week old bread crumbs, the others had hay and barley that could be eaten in the winter months. What he could never expect, however, was to see a plume of dust following a car down the road and straight towards their hedged lane.

It couldn't have been Lyons as the rent had been paid for a year in advance with what he earned from the war. His mother walked from the house a basket of wet clothing in hand to be strung on the line to dry but at the sound of a car engine she turned to look at Albert who was returning to the barn and back again.

"You two must be lost." Mrs. Narracott's words were slow yet clipped, an amalgam true of Anglo-Saxon and Old French, the accent of the people in the West Country was one thing Belle never forgot.

James smiled and shook his head before speaking. "If this is the Narracott Farm then we're not lost at all."

The woman's confusion only increased tenfold but she nodded and placed a hand on her hip next to a worn apron and threadbare peasant style skirt. "It is."

"Captain Nicholls, miss, and this is my wife Izabella. I'd like to speak to Albert for a moment if you don't mind."

"Albie!" The boy in question quickly darted from the barn at his mother's call, by this time James and Izabella had both exited the car and stood watching as he almost stumbled over one of the rocks that littered the soil but he came to a halt before he could tumble into the guests.

"Captain Nicholls! I'm sorry sir, but I thought you had been killed like so many others." He quickly rambled out and by the way his back straightened and his chin lifted it was easy to see that he had served in the war. If not from the subtle manners embedded in military training than you could see the scars of war, his voice had an unnatural rasp to it and the skin around his eyes was cracked as if from a burn; mustard gas.

"Aye, there is nothing for you to apologize about. I fear it is I who owes you an apology for I could not keep my word in regards to Joey." James lowered his head fearing that the horse had been lost to the battle but Izabella couldn't help but smile when Albie broke into a large grin.

"I think I have someone else who might like to see you, Captain, if you'll wait here for a moment." Albert was running back to the barn, Ms. Narracott returned from the clothes line, shaking her head before returning her gaze to James and Belle.

"You're the one who bought Joey from town aren't you?" She asked with a raised brow and he nodded before clarifying the circumstances under which he took Joey.

"Leased, but yes. That was me." Izabella hardly payed attention to the conversation her husband was having with Albert's mother, instead she watched as the boy lead out a horse with four white socks and a white marking in the shape of a diamond on his head. James had been right, this was beautiful horse, the muscles of the beast moved beneath a shining brown coat with each step and upon nearing the three of them he tossed his mane and began to trot as if showing off.

When the boy and horse came before the two James was the first to extended his hand and pat the beast's neck, unable to stop himself from smiling. "How's my bonny boy doing?" In response he simply tossed his mane and nudged the Captain in his shoulder with the muzzle of his nose and then his attention turned to Izabella. She looked the horse in the eye and to James and Albie it appeared that the two were having a conversation that only they could understand, regardless though she lifted her hand and traced the pattern between the horse's eyes.

"I've never seen a horse quite like this one. A war horse." She smiled and the two men were enchanted with her voice. Stroking Joey's neck she took her hand back and stood straight. "A miracle horse." In the beast's eyes she could see the horrors he had endured, the pain, the hardship; it reminded her of the first weeks after James was turned.

"Would you like to ride him, miss?" The voice of Albie shook her thoughts away and looking to him she kindly declined the offer and slipped her hand into James, but not even a moment later James had shook his head and hoisted her from the ground and onto Joey's back. When she was bestride him, she soared like a hawk. He trotted on the air and the earth seemed to sing when he touched it. It was indescribable to ride a horse such as this one through the Dartmoor country, around the boulders that littered the landscape and over the rolling hills. It was the very definition of the word freedom, to ride without saddle and without care.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she rode back to the farm house and from the horse she slipped gracefully to land on her feet. "A fine horse indeed." Albert's smile only grew larger and James slipped his hand into hers, his own smile rooted in amazement at the woman he called his wife.


	29. 28

_So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending._

 _The Brighton Estate, London; October 23, 1940_

A comfortable routine had begun since their marriage. Izabella still tended to her garden and flowers but now only two her horses that remained. James busied himself helping Belle when necessary but now he spent a fair amount of time helping a widow keep and help horses that were brought to her home. Some were malnourished and frightened, others came from once being in war and now with their skittish behavior nobody would take such a horse as many refused to even wear a bridle.

The spring consisted of her lavish soirées, though they had decreased over the years as parties such as hers were no longer common. One year was spent in Paris, another roaming their own country finding nooks and crannies that hardly anyone knew of. In the coming years she suggested a trip to America, perhaps even Tangier to see Adam and Eve. The years after the first war were splendid, the prosperity, the artwork and music that came from those golden years was unlike anything else. However, nothing lasts forever and that was apparent by the collapse of the economy. She and James were hardly affected in comparison to others and not being able to stand so many people suffer at least three times a week she opened her home in the evenings to provide anyone who came with a hot meal as it was the simple things in life that kept the darkness at bay.

Somehow it had happened again. Another war, it had already been going on for a whole year. A year of newspaper headlines dispelling the damage and causalities, but away from the western front in Germany and France there was peace in England though the forces were engaged. Izabella hated that there was yet another war after so few years and though James was capable of still fighting he refrained joining or being drafted.

Then one night in September it began. The bombings. Each night they would be woken by the pictures falling off the walls or the chandeliers swaying from the ceiling. The ground shook and rattled the very foundation on which the estate was on. In the morning when the day's paper was presented with a tray of breakfast it was the same. The same pictures of destruction and claims of Terror Rains from the Sky, yet the only thing that differentiated the current paper from the previous one was the date printed at the top. Izabella didn't know how long it would last and James didn't dare speak of what he truly thought about the war this time.

The ground shook every other minute, it was the forty-sixth night of bombings and yet Izabella buried her head into James's chest, blocking out what was happening in the outside world, refusing to believe that this was happening all over again. Even in the chaos she managed to drown out the noises and find some peace and serenity in the sanctuary that was her home.

James shook her shoulder, his brows furrowed as there was an ill feeling about the air but all she did move closer to him, further tucking her head into his chest. "Izabella, something isn't right. We need to leave." He brushed back her hair as her eyes began to open, adjusting to the low light but he could tell she was not fully awake and therefore the words he had spoken did not truly register.

"James." She mumbled his name and turned on her side; he did not wait for her to move from the bed instead he lifted her into his arms and ran down the stairs, throwing the front door open and continued the hastened pace as the singing and whistling of falling bombs sounded from overhead. She clung tightly to his chest, looking over her shoulder in disbelief as she made out the dark shape that was on a direct path to her century's old home.

They stood in the open field, almost near the tree line and it happened in the span of a second, yet it seemed to take hours. The immense heat and deafening noise, shattered glass and broken brick. It was something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

Everything was in flames, "No." It came out as little more than a scream as she ran towards the raging fire but James was quicker and his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her back from the wreckage. "Our home." She half whispered reaching towards the flames as if they would miraculously extinguish. Her heirlooms, the books she so loved some of which were the only copy of their kind, the music Adam had left behind. All the art and history was gone. Every remaining reminder of her family was gone, and now she and James had little more than the clothing on their backs. If she had to pick one word to describe what she was feeling it would have been bereavement, but it was absurd to mourn for a house like one would a loved one.

He held her in his arms and together they feel to their knees. Izabella did not realize it but she was the cause of the gathering clouds, the forthcoming storm and the rain began to fall like her tears. The ground shook again and she knew it to be another attack, another person killed, another home destroyed.

Her thin dressing gown was soaked through, as was James's shirt, their hair plastered to their faces. _On silver necklaces they strung the light of stars_ , he begun to sing softly the lines of a song from a book now burnt, the lines that he had heard her humming to herself, creating music from words. _On crowns they hung the dragon-fire_. His voice was quiet but impressively smooth asides, only interrupted when lightening would flash across the sky and thunder answered the call.

She did not know how long they had sat in the field simply watching the flames die down only to begin again. Morning came but the sun did not; smoke filled the air and stung her nostrils as she took a step towards the remnants regardless of how cold she felt from the rain and how her knees wobbled. The vampiress looked to her stables, which were half intact. Her two horses that remained were crowded in a corner as she and James pushed open the jammed and singed doors.

Together they coddled the fearful creatures until they settled back down. While brushing back the graying mane of Scatha, Izabella refused to cry again, while she had lost the material pieces of her life the memories would forever endure. James watched as she stood and walked towards the house but he could not make himself stop her, instead he looked on as she walked to the smoking rubble where the foyer had once been.

The remains were smoldering, smoke rising into the air but Izabella walked through the barren entrance where the foyer once was. The stairs were barely standing yet she climbed them anyway with such grace it appeared that her feet did not even touch the splintered wood.

A noise caught between a cry of joy and sorrow left her lips when she saw the cracked remains of the glass Adam had gifted her and carefully she picked it up, holding it in her hands like a bird with a broken wing. Under charred rubble was a flash of metal upon brushing off the debris Izabella picked up the frame though it was still warm to the touch, in it contained her wedding picture.

At the sound of glass crunching she turned and faced the Captain, in his hands was the book she had been reading before bed, the cover was torn away and the edge of papers discolored. "What are we to do, James?" Her voice cracked while asking the question.

"Rebuild." His voice was hushed, he moved with caution about the fallen boards and broken windows until he stood before her. "You have lived here your entire life, Belle, you deserve to be able to stay." The vampiress leaned her cheek into his palm a smile appearing on her lips despite the despair and devastation that surrounded her. "We salvage what we can and we start over, together."

And so began the slow process of picking through possessions day after day, searching for things that were fit to keep or repair and to their surprise there was more material goods that survived than they had first thought. Three days passed and a box had been filled with clothes that had miraculously survived, another box filled with paintings and portraits that could be refinished and corrected.

But even in the darkest hours there was light to be found should they look in the right places. One autumn evening mayhaps a week after the fire and destruction she dressed in the finest gown that was worth keeping and he in his dress uniform. The piano that had found a home in the formal sitting area of the east wing had survived with minor damage. The surface was scrapped but could easily be sanded until smooth once more and varnished, it was apparent that it would need tuning and to have cracked ivory keys repaired but on that night it sufficed. They danced under the pale moonlight to the sound of a broken record and played small melodies pretending that the world wasn't all bad and the war waging around them was just something made up to appease the power craving hearts of men.

 _The Brighton Estate, London; May 19, 1946_

"Oh please do come down from that ladder and look at this." The man descended the wooden steps until he was on the same level Izabella stood on, peering up at the painting being hung in the hall. "Take a look closer, now, the right side is higher than the left." Lowering his head he climbed the ladder for the third time in this spot and adjusted the painting until it was level and to the lady's liking.

"Is that all for today, Mrs. Nicholls?" She nodded and motioned for the young man to return to his room, the remaining decorative items could be hung at a later time.

"Oh! Ellis, may I remind you that I wish for everything to be ready within the week?" He shook his head, explicitly remembering the list she had presented him with what should be done each day. Izabella shook her head as he made his way back to the room she had allotted him for him to have with his wife, who happily agreed to be a maid at the New Brighton Estate from hearing others speak so highly of her.

"You're too hard on him." Came the light chuckling voice, turning on heel she looked at James and smiled as he placed his hands on her waist, just below the belt of the blue and white patterned belt of the dress she wore.

"I act as a mother would for I have known the boy since he was seven and orphaned, even if he is grown now." It was true, she had watched the boy grow up, even tutored him when it came to his schooling in turn all he had to do was help her with the horses. They both believed it to be a fair trade and though he would never admit it, Izabella was the only mother figure he could remember in his life.

James leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Then in that case you are much to kind." He corrected himself with a small smirk as she pushed away from the man and gestured for him to look at the paintings that had been restored from the fire. The last one hung for the day was her cherished Monet piece.

"Have they finished the front entrance?" She finally questioned as for the past week they had been painting and staining the brick and wood of the exterior of the house. The Captain only smiled before sweeping Izabella off her feet and tossing her over his shoulder. Her reaction was playful in nature when she hit his back only once before succumbing to the fact that he would not set her down until they had reached their destination. The halls of her new home passed, some barren asides from the paint on the wall, others were lined with shelves for the collection of books that had been saved and those that had recently been purchased.

The living and sitting rooms passed in a blur as well as the music room and tea room before the crisp yet sufficiently warm evening air hit her skin and sent chills down her spine. Slipping from his grasp Izabella turned and looked up at the homes archways and pillars, the blue-green roof and stone that had been smoothed down to large bricks.

It was a bit grander than her previous home but that was only because of the post-war prosperity and how cheap it had been to high workers and constructionists. The exterior was now finished asides from any changes that she would undoubtedly make to the garden, the stables had been rebuilt and now instead of two horses there was five. Slowly life was correcting itself for Izabella Nicholls.

"I can't believe it." She let out an excited noise that almost resembled a squeak and fell back to the grass spreading her arms and legs out in joy. As if mimicking her emotion the sky was painted with reds and purples while the sun set in the west. James sat next to her, his fingers tracing over her collarbones and up her neck until he leaned over her and smiled but she quickly pushed herself up and kissed him until he could take no more. "You know, my darling, I think this calls for celebration."

From the icebox Izabella pulled out two flasks of blood and James retrieved their small sherry glasses but she only shook her head and brought back two wine glasses. "I believe every once and a while it does not hurt to indulge." The glint in her eyes was dangerous yet extruded the lustful desires she held for both blood and skin.

"How right you are." He grinned, revealing his own fangs as she filled the glasses to the brim. The sound of jazz music filled the house from the radio, Izabella picked up her glass and spun out of the room to the open hall that was for her parties should they continue. Following her was James, his hair tousled from the day's work and the fact that it was longer. Taking a long sip of the chilled blood she sat aside the glass and picked up the hem of her skirt before falling into an obscene rhythm that was perfectly in step with the song that played.

James trailed behind her, setting his glass down as well and fell into step with her. They moved in a blur as it was impossible to move slowly with such an upbeat tempo. Sweat had begun to bead upon his forehead and her skin glistened as they took a momentary breather and drank more until all that was left would be the residue on the sides. This time before the song came to a close she had her hands wound firmly in his hair and he was moving his lips up her neck, barely able to stand the stifling heat growing between them. "Shall we?"

The Captain lifted her from the floor and instinctively her legs wrapped around his waist. With a flick of her wrist the radio ceased to play and moving at inhuman speeds they were within their bedroom, her dress on the floor and his shirt already pulled out from his trousers and sloppily unbuttoned. Her eyes fluttered close when he kissed her and her hands worked of their own accord, seeking to render him just as unclothed as she was.

With golden eyes wide she fell back to the mattress and watched as he clambered over to the bed only to crawl over her, his weight looming just out of touch. "Don't look at me like that you gluttonous man." She laughed at the expression that came over his face, a mixture of lust and ire, but her spellbinding laugh was silenced when the Captain pressed his lips to hers. Her skin against his felt like a live flame that could burn but would never be capable of consuming.

James smiled and skimmed his fingers over her cheek, committing each detail to memory. Her palms pressed flat against his chest, stretching up to place a feather-light kiss on his neck. At the last second she scrapped her teeth over the pulse that was beating wildly beneath, had she a moment she would have relished in the way that chills erupted over James's skin, but he was too fast and before she could see what he was doing she felt it. Tiny nips on her skin, beginning at her neck and following a trail down her body. With one particular nip he drew blood and without so much as thinking his tongue swiped over the red fluid that beaded on her skin and within only a few seconds there was no mark, no scar, just pale flesh.

"Must you torture me like this?" The vampiress mewled, but regardless of her tone it could not displace the wicked smile on her red lips.

"Call me a sadomasochist." The Captain quipped back with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes, Izabella rolled her eyes and sat up to push James back until she could sit comfortably on his lap. His hand stroked the soft skin on her back and ran through wild curls whilst they exchanged countless and passionate kisses and words. James had laid her back to the sheets when they first noise came and instantly she flinched and he was sent back to the war.

"What was that?" She asked her eyes searching their room until finally she looked at him, a terrified expression coming over the previous on that was pure lust. James stood and grabbed the lounge pants that were hanging off the end of the bed, pulling them on while moving to look at the window. Izabella followed, though much more timorously as she pulled on his shirt that was left on the floor.

Over the tree tops the Captain could vaguely make out the bursts of colors that filled the air for only a second before disappearing against the starless night sky. Then only a few seconds later there was another pop and explosion of white and red. "Fireworks." He breathed turning to Izabella who fiddled with the button on the white button up. She looked disheartened for a moment, realizing that their moment had passed and would not return this night, James stepped closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to his chest before kissing her forehead. "It's just fireworks." He stated again feeling her tense as another exploded in midair.

"Will it ever get better?" She asked timidly, her hand resting on his chest and beneath her palm his heart was beating faster than usual. Her mind went back to the first time there was a storm after her house had been destroyed, how she bolted up in the night and feared that it was another air raid. And the celebration when the war finally ended even miles away from the city's center she could hear the fireworks and she knew that was the cause of the noise but it did not stop her from flinching and when guns were fired into the air at funerals and festivities she continued to notice that James was not at ease.

"I don't know." His voice was quiet, "I guess only time will tell." With his hand grasping one of hers he pulled her back to the bed and crawled in after her, his arms secured around her waist and her face buried deep into his neck. "I found something earlier that I think you will like," he whispered into her hair and at the statement she looked up at him. "I'll only be gone a few seconds." Izabella quickly kissed his cheek before he stood and walked from the room.

Moments later he returned with a package wrapped in brown paper and tied off with thick white twine. It was fairly small and light when he handed it to her. She looked up at him and he gestured for her to open it, carefully untying the knot she slipped the twine free and unfolded the thick paper away until the cover of a book was revealed along with the title. The Hobbit.

"I know it became one of your favorites and it wasn't found after that night." Her fingers traced over the runes on the spine and the simple depiction of Smaug on the bottom of the blue cover. "So I did some searching in the local bookshops until I found it." Izabella looked up at her Captain and smiled, her elation over the children's book in her hands would have been considered absurd if not for the fact that only a few years ago she had close to nothing.

Slipping under the covers she motioned for James to do the same and he did, wrapping his arms about her waist in a manner that he could looked over her shoulder as she opened the book and began to read. _In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit._


	30. 29

_"Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too so I stayed in the darkness with you."_

 _The Brighton Estate, London; November 15, 2011_

"Is everything packed, James?" Izabella skimmed over their packed clothing, finding that they each had a week's worth of clothing. Into her bag she tossed a well-worn copy of 1984 and a book that had been more recently added to her collection, Dune. Checking for anything else that needed to be placed within the bag she zipped it up and moved to James's bag, looking to see if he had added anything for the flight.

"Can we carry on blood?" He chimed in standing in the door way of their bedroom, two steel flasks in hand. She tilted her head, smiling at the gleam in his eyes before stepping forward and taking one of the flasks in hand, her fingers tracing over the engravings on the leather cover

"I'm inclined to say no," he frowned and tossed the other flask to her as well before grabbing one of the books from his nightstand and the iPod that held a century's worth of music. Pleased with his selection of in-flight entertainment, the Captain closed up his bag and sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at Belle as she scurried about making sure everything was, indeed, packed.

"Shouldn't we call first? You know, make sure he's still there?" James asked, one of his hands catching her wrists as she walked by giving her no option but to turn and look at him.

"Showing up uninvited was one of Adam's favorite things to do, I doubt he'll mind and it's not likely he's moved since I received his last letter." Izabella reached for her bag but James quickly reached out and held onto the handles for each, the vampiress rolled her eyes and flicked off the lights in the room, grabbing the two tickets that were on the dresser.

They had boarded with ease, the London rain beat on the windows but it was no more than twenty minutes before the clouds were lifting and the sun shone down on the English country side and then the Atlantic Ocean. The Captain looked at Belle, who within the first two hours had fell asleep, an open book in her hands and her head on his shoulder. Despite everything she had told him about vampires, that they rarely every felt cold, he draped his coat over her, smiling to himself when she curled into it and him.

James woke her only a few minutes before they landed, maneuvering through the capricious travelers after unloading was by far the most painful experience Izabella had within the last century. When she and the Captain slid into the back seat of a cab there was a degree of peacefulness that they were both thankful for. It took a little over an hour to reach the address she had given to the driver and when they pulled up he couldn't help but look in the rear-view mirror suspiciously as barely anyone lived in that part of town anymore.

She paid the driver and James grabbed their two bags from the trunk, as if the surroundings were poisonous the cab's tires squealed as the car drove away at an alarming speed. Izabella could feel his presence in the old house, but like every house on the street it was dilapidated. An old decaying Victorian manor in Detroit. The outside was being taken over by weeds and overgrown shrubbery that crept up the side of the house and though it looked abandoned on the second floor there was a light coming through thick curtains. She looked to James and shrugged, it wasn't exactly what she expected.

Stepping on to the porch, Izabella singled out a buzzer and pressed it firmly, however what she did not expect was his voice to come over a small speaker hidden somewhere, undoubtedly one of his beloved inventions. "Fuck off." She frowned and looked back at James, the hurt in her eyes evident, but she pressed the button again and stepped off the porch, looking up at the curtains as they moved about.

After skimming the porch she found the small speaker and hoping it was a two way she spoke his name. "Adam." Her voice was strained and out of annoyance she flicked the covering until static broke the silence.

"Belle," She could hear the sigh in his voice, perhaps regret, and after a brief lapse of silence he spoke again. "I'll be right down." Izabella looked around the yard finding scraps of metal littering the tall grass, if she was staying for more than a week then undoubtedly she would have found time to trim the vines and mend the dying bulbous flowers. The hand on her shoulder broke her critical thoughts of the exterior of the house and with wide eyes she looked up at James.

The front door creaked as it was opened, the hinges however resisted the movement and squeaked in their refusal. Her dear friend stood in the doorway, his shirt wrinkled and hanging loosely from already thin shoulders. "May I?" Izabella's voice was barely above a whisper and quickly the eldest vampire stepped aside and motioned for his guests to come in. Precariously she stepped across the threshold; before her gloves could even be removed Adam had pulled her into his arms and smiled into her hair. "Oh Adam." She breathed, touching his cheek for only a moment before stepping away. "It is good to see you."

"I must agree." Both her and James left their gloves in a bowl that was placed at the foyer, joining the pair that was already there. He led the way through his house, up the stairs to thesecond floor and to the living area. When both James and Adam sat on the sofa she ceased her exploration of his instruments that were strung about the room and sat between the two before shifting so her legs were draped over James's lap and her head rested on Adam's thigh. "How have you been, my sweet vampire?" He didn't respond but the despondent look in his eyes told Izabella everything she could have wished to know.

After he had poured three glasses of blood and the air of ecstasy passed he looked down at Belle and quickly to the Captain. "Surely you two must be tired." Nodding in agreement, Adam led the two down the hall to an empty room that was not cluttered with anything asides from old records kept in boxes at the far corner. Izabella sighed and pulled her sweater overhead, shrugging on one of James's shirt that she had insisted upon wearing despite how thin it was growing from wear. When she turned he was already in bed and for only a few minutes she joined him before her thoughts were clouded with nothing but Adam.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, James." He was half asleep when she spoke but she pressed her lips to his temple and silently slipped from the room. The halls were cluttered and the floors undoubtedly creaked but she moved without a sound until she stopped in the living room where Adam sat in a dusty sofa simply staring into space, he only glanced in her direction and then looked away. "Belle."

Izabella sat next to him and when he said nothing she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Adam, darling, what is happening?" She knew he had a predisposition for loathing humans and while in the past he was generally pessimistic his science and music kept the darker demons at bay.

"We're dying. Our kind," she knew his words to be true as there was a connection between all of their kind and while she knew only a select few there was always a pang of despair when a fellow vampire perished. "Were fizzling out because of the fucking zombies." His voice grew angry and his face twisted in disgust but Belle could only reach out and take his hand within hers.

"Zombies?" She did not understand and she could see Adam looking at her from the corner of his eye, seeing her broken expression however made him squeeze his eyes shut.

"The humans, they've managed to contaminate their own damn blood, it's getting harder and harder to find pure blood; soon there won't be any left." Izabella didn't doubt it, the diseases that were becoming more prevalent was a dangerous threat to their sustenance and survival.

"Oh Adam. If there is something I've learned in all my years and in all the books that I've read; life, even for us is only beautiful because it has an inevitable end, all we can do is live what time we have left." He didn't look at her, he couldn't, she was so blissfully optimistic about the decaying world. Her words faltered for a moment and a hand touched his cheek, beckoning him to look at her, to look into the golden eyes that could put him in a hypnotic state if he stared long enough. "It's not all bad, just think of the creative genius, and think about the art, the music. Think about how far we've come since your beloved scientists emerged."

His laugh was dry, humorless and his smile was empty. "You've been around Eve far too long." He chastised and had it been a century ago she would have smiled because it would have been a teasing statement but now it wasn't, it was a hollow truth.

"And you haven't been around her for long enough." The silence grew uncomfortable but Izabella jumped from the sofa and placed her phone on the table. A song that she had grown to adore played over the speakers as loud as they possibly could and despite how he slunk further back into the sofa she held her hand out, a silent command that he could not disobey. When he placed his hand within hers and stood with exasperation, Izabella smiled.

It did not take long for the two of them to fall into step with the steady beat of the song, the small amount of floor space became their ballroom, his hands rested on her waist and hers on his shoulders. She whispered the lyrics, despite her inability to sing and hearing how she spoke them caused Adam to smile, but when he looked down her eyes were closed. " _I was a heavy heart to carry but he never let me down,_ " the lyrics seemed to resonate with him, images of he and Eve played across his mind. She was the constant embodiment of wisdom and light and he, with all his flaws, was doubt and darkness. That was one of the reasons they stayed apart for so long, so neither would grow weighed down no matter how much they loved.

When the song ended they stood in the middle of the room and alas she looked up at him with her golden eyes glowing as brightly as they had done the night he turned her. "Adam. I love you, try not to forget that." Reaching up she kissed the corner of his lips and gave a waning smile before stepping back, only he did not allow her to turn away until he had kissed her forehead. With her thoughts muddled she pottered back to the room that James was in.

When she opened the door her Captain appeared to be asleep, lying in the middle of the bed; shrugging off the old dressing she laid it aside before slipping into bed as well. There was silence in the room as she moved his arm to drape it across her waist, that action seemed to wake him as she could make out his open eyes in the low light of the room. "How is he?"

Izabella would have rather not answered that question, in truth she wanted the Adam she knew from the start, not the melancholic vampire that was slipping into depression. Her thumb traced over his cheek and with a heavy sigh she shook her head. "I'm worried James." He nodded and understood and sensing her unease he wrapped both arms around her middle and pulled her closer.

"You'd be a fool not to be worried." Her smile was wistful and before allowing sleep to overtake her she leaned forward and gently kissed her Captain.

 _Detroit; December 10, 2011_

The planned one week trip to America had turned into a nearly a month. Izabella was determined to find a way to rid Adam of his cynical mindset but she had yet to succeed, however, there was small victories each day which most came by music and science. He was at his happiest when playing the music he had come to know after moving from London and working next to Izabella as she looked over the sheets of music that he had written himself.

On this particular evening though she and James were awake before Adam and together they sat in the floor with records and cassettes strung out over the floor. Izabella held a vinyl record that was still sealed in its wrapping, the artist was Denise Lasalle and she could not distinctly remember any of her songs or hearing the name before. James held up a scratched record by the Temptations and immediately Izabella held out her hand, demanding to see it closer as she hummed the melody to one of their songs.

"Can you imagine having this many records and never playing them?" The Captain questioned as he picked up a cassette tape and slid it into a player, with the volume turned down low enough so that only they could hear the music began with a crackling sound from aging tape. They both shuffled around in boxes and the piles until James came across a cassette in a clear case, sloppy handwriting across the small piece of white labeling. Belle's, was all it was titled and silently he handed it to her for examination.

"I've been meaning to send that to you for ages now." She startled at the voice that came from behind her, clearing off floor space, Adam sat with them on the floor, flipping through the music, some of which he had completely forgotten about. In a small pile behind him he stacked several records and cassettes that he would never bother with again but he know they would be taken care of at Brighton Estate.

Hours passed in nothing more than a blur and Izabella opened her eyes to see that she was lying on the couch, the record that had been playing still spun but there was no sound coming from it and James and Adam were both propped against the piece of furniture fast asleep. They had gone from listening to Eddie Cochran to Metallica back to Aretha Franklin and even as far back as Beethoven. It did not matter to Adam, so long as it had instruments and meaning it was good music. She smiled dreamily and sat up, tiptoeing around her two vampires until she could remove the record and slip it back into its protective sleeve and with quietness of a mouse she knelt down and grabbed the tape that Adam had made for her.

She looked around the living room and spotted a pair of headphones lying on an outdated soundboard but nonetheless they would work. Plugging them into the player, Izabella placed the cassette tape into the machine and pressed play. Her smile was caught in a reminiscent daze when the first song began, but truly it could not be called that, it was more of a composition to be exact _. Danse Macabre_. Those times in the nineteenth century, when she first heard the piece played to the late night in her own house when she danced with both James and Adam till the morning light.

 _With the moon I run far from the carnage of the fiery sun_. Those were the first lyrics she really picked up in the second song that started and though she had never heard it before she fell in love instantly as the guitars and dynamics clearly conveyed an aching heart.

 _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream_. Even though her eyes were closed she could sense that someone had sat in front of her. Still listening to the song her eyes flitted open to see Adam. "How do you like it?" He breathed, pushing back the messy strands of curls that had grown tangled within the past days away from her wide golden eyes.

"It's wonderful." She replied softly and at that declaration his eyes seemed to not be as dark, "I'll miss you." Her fingers stroked the stubble on his jaw but he caught her hand and simply held it as if she were a fragile as glass.

"And I you." Izabella leaned closer and gently kissed his lips for only a brief second, he smiled and she felt relieved that maybe, just maybe everything would turn out alright. When the sun would rise it would be time for she and James to depart and they would leave Adam to his own thoughts in his old Victorian manor. And so the time came, she and James had gathered their belongings and the records that were being sent back with them from the old house. They watched as a taxi pulled up to the curb to take them to the airport and then back home.

In the early hours of the morning their plane touched down on the tarmac of the Heathrow airport, from there it was a short walk to where their car was parked and what felt like an eternal drive later they pulled into the drive of Brighton Estate. James glanced to his side only to see that Izabella had fallen asleep, her late nights had taken a toll during their visit. Gathering her into his arms he left the bags to be retrieved at a later time.

As if she was as precious and delicate as her Middlemist flowers he laid her on the bed and tugged off her boots followed by the heavy coat that he threw across the foot of the bed. She stirred but did not wake and with a sigh he slipped into bed as well. The Captain was glad to be home once more but he worried now that Izabella would fret far too much over Adam. He kissed her temple and she turned, curling into his side murmuring words that it look a moment for him to make out with her sleepy voice. "I love you, James."


	31. Addendum

_I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything._

James sat on the bench at the piano, his fingers maneuvering over the keys with a skill that had developed and had been perfected for over a century and steadily Izabella danced, her nightgown flaring out as she spun to the jazzy piece he had improvised. He looked over his shoulder, watching her spin and move with the fluidity of water before returning his gaze to the ivory keys. A smile of amazement and joy stretched across his face. He never tired of her.

It was then it happened, the pang of despair in her chest that was suffocating, that seized her heart and squeezed like a constrictor. Her knees gave way and at the thudding sound of them hitting the floor the Captain turned, his brows furrowed before he came to sit by her. She felt as if she were being ripped in two, that a piece of her had left never to return; only there was nothing she could do but suffer through it. Izabella knew what was happening, her breathing had grown shallow and tears streaked her cheeks. "Adam." Her melodic voice had quickly turned into a harsh rasp and even though James held her in his arms, slowly rocking back and forth in the middle of the room it did not relieve the agony, she feared nothing would. "Adam." She choked out his name, wishing that she could have seen him one last time, wishing that she could have saved him from the self-destructive ways. He had been right, all those years ago, they were a dying breed.

A week later when James felt the same crippling pain they each knew that Adam and Eve had chosen to leave this life and now they were the last two vampires left, the only ones left of their kind. It had begun with Marlowe, a batch of bad blood, a slow and painful death but really there was no other way to die. The next had been Ava, which actually came as no surprise that she had finally succumb to the sepsis of the person she had feed from. Darkness descended in the midst of all the deaths.

But life grew good and green again, for years Adam and Eve stayed with her and James until they parted ways to see the world again, to nurture their relationship back to health. Even though it was certainly becoming harder to find pure blood there was optimism that eventually everything would settle out and they could live like they had been. There would be peace and opulence and they would be able to drink easily without the constant threat of death looming overhead.

It never got better and the gilded hopes she had been filled with only made everything worse, with the passing of Adam and Eve the days grew darker. At night James would kiss Izabella's temple regardless of whether they had been able to feed that night or not and say, "It's going to be okay Izabella, we can get through this."

Her answer never changed as she could no longer trust in false hope and promises. The vampiress would kiss him in return and as she pulled back would whisper the words that he knew to be true. "No, we can't." Everything passed slowly, time crept along and waited for no one, not even the immortals.

Izabella and James sat on an empty beach, shoulder to shoulder looking out at the vast ocean that remained constant. No matter how much changed the ocean remained and was consistent. She was tired, weary, exhausted. In her hand was a shell, unbroken and still white, untouched by the cruelty of the outside world. Her once vibrant red curls dulled before James's eyes and there was nothing he could do to help, even her eyes had begun to return to their original blue. "When I little the world seemed so vast." Her voice was broken.

"But now it seems smaller?" He questioned, realizing that like her he was no longer the same. The centuries had changed him as if reflecting the growing darkness his hair was more brown than blonde and his eyes were no longer blue but grey, now instead of the sea they held a storm.

Sadly Izabella shook her head and turned to her darling Captain, her hand running over the stubble on his jaw that she had grown fond of. "The world is still the same size I envisioned as a child; now there's just less in it." It was feeling she had felt for a long time, she had seen the world before the rise of everything, before industrialization, before technology, before all the hate and destruction. She remembered the vast forests that covered lands that were now bare, the rolling hills and mountains that had been cut down to make way for man and his machines. She could remember when the air was clean and crisp but now it was sodden with pollution and even the most remote places had been changed. Species flourished and became extinct in her lifetime. There was indeed less in the world for her and perhaps now she finally understood what Adam had been talking about. "Do you believe in reincarnation, James?"

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his arm slipping around her waist. "I've never thought about it in all honesty, but I suppose it's possible." He would have once said that vampires were nothing more than fictitious creatures but he had been proven wrong and now anything seemed likely.

There was a long moment of silence between them before Izabella pushed herself up and kissed him, she cherished these moments. He still tasted as sweet as the first time they had kissed and every time after that. "Then promise you'll find me in the next life and the one after that." He kissed her, his hand slipping into her hair as he pulled her closer, always closer.

The tide was rising, the breaking waves reached their bare feet and the sea foam clung to their skin. "Why think separately from this life and the next when one is born from the last?" The Captain whispered softly against her cheek, there was never silence as the crashing sprays battered the shore and crept closer to the lovers. Perhaps for the first time in a year Izabella smiled and it reached her eyes, but it was not enough to save them.

From the sand Izabella held a flask and James presented a crystal glass, the same one they used at their wedding, the same glass that had survived a bombing and the test of time. Izabella poured the concoction until it was close to overflowing and from there she and James looked at the glass they both held. "Izabella," he breathed her name and she looked up at him from beneath thinning lashes, "I love you." With his free hand he touched her cheek, committing each dimple and scar to memory.

"I love you, James, more than anything." Truer words had never been spoken. She drank first and James finished the tonic, placing the stained glass out of mind. The crimson liquid stained their lips and it began, with the slow burning in their stomachs. Izabella's eyes darted around in panic for a moment but James held her face within his hands and kissed her. Dazed they each laid back on the beach, one hand with fingers intertwined the other resting on heart and cheek. The only thing they feared now was one closing their eyes before the other. Everything grew numb as they held on. The Captain smiled at her and she smiled back, the water beginning to take them. As Izabella's eyes slipped shut so did James and they were free.

It was possible to surrender wearing a smile as the arms of the ocean embraced them. The date was April 12, 2213.

 _But oh, my love, don't forget me when I let the water take me._

 _April 12, 2313_

She bustled down the crowded street, a pile of papers clutched in her arms so when only a single piece slipped away she hardly noticed until someone seemed to be shouting at her to stop. Her golden eyes flitted around until they saw a hand waving in the air with a crumpled and damp piece of white paper, the words had begun to bleed. Perhaps she would have stored everything electronically if not for her position as the head historian at the London Museum of Natural History. Red hair clung to the sides of her face as the London rain was relentless and from the crowd he emerged.

Sandy blonde hair was pushed back but the rain had soaked the short cut and when he stopped to hand her the piece she had dropped it was as if her world stopped moving. There was no one else pushing pass them, her medial job did not matter; in that moment nothing did. Her dreams rapidly played across her mind, of a man and women doomed to love and live forever, the women like her had bright red hair and golden eyes that were so clear and potent it seemed unnatural. The man was always wearing a royal blue military uniform with eyes like the sea and a smile that made her heart twist and ache as she had never seen or experienced such a thing in her life. That was until this stranger in front of her smiled.

Each simply stopped on the sidewalk like their gazes were permanently trapped to look upon one another. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I fear the fairies may have gotten a hold of me for a moment..." She laughed nervously. The girl did not even care that she was already late to work, how could she care when the person she had dreamed of since childhood was standing in front of her?

He extended his hand and certainly she thought he would only shake her hand but instead his fingers gently curled around her own and he brought her knuckles to his lips. It was a permutation of a greeting that had died centuries ago and yet it only felt natural. "James." His voice was as charming as his smile and everything fell into place, she wondered if he could feel the internal pull, the need to be near each other. He wondered if she felt the same.

Even in the cold rain her cheeks grew flushed with color and with a bashful smile she looked at her shoes as they had suddenly become interesting but finally she looked up James and spoke her name, taking all the breath from his lungs with the single word. "Izabella."

 ** _Fin._**

 **A/N: I would like to say thank you so much for reading this story, for sticking with me even when I doubted my writing. I hope you have enjoyed it as I enjoyed writing it. XOXO**

 **-Sierra**


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